Brain Thrust Mastery Inc (Deluxe) (2LP)

Brain Thrust Mastery, the second album by Californian art rockers We Are Scientists was originally released on Virgin Records in March 2008, its heady brew of retro futurism, indie and sparkling shiny power pop make it sound thoroughly contemporary – Working in conjunction with the band, this 2LP version of the album adds B-sides and tracks recorded live at London’s Union Chapel and is pressed onto high-quality 180g vinyl.

Named after founder members Keith Murray and Chris Cain’s dress sense led a truck rental supervisor to surmise that they had to be academics, We Are Scientists were formed in Berkeley, California around the turn of the century. Their 8rst ‘proper’ album, 2005’s With Love And Squalor, became an underground hit as the band toured Britain, where they gained a substantial fanbase before the album was released in America the following year. Material for Brain Thrust Mastery was debuted on an early 2007 UK tour, before the band returned to the studio with producer Ariel Rechtshaid (who would go on to win Grammys with Vampire Weekend). We Are Scientists maintain a strong sense of theatre and comedy in their live performance – at this time, the group acted as their own support, o?ering seminars in self improvement called ‘Brain Thrust Mastery’.

The album is full of well-written pop songs, rich in hooks and melody. Lead single After Hours reached No 15 in March 2008, and after the release of the album the same month, it was followed by further hit singles Chick Lit and Impatience. A summer of touring, including performances at Glastonbury, T In The Park and Reading and Leeds underlined the group’s popularity.