We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

iTunes Review

Produced by Seattle’s John Goodmanson (Pavement, Sleater-Kinney), We Are Beautiful has an untamed feel, but is glued together with a charming imperfection, raw energy, and naked emotional outpourings that sting tangibly and frequently. A glockenspiel twitters with plucked guitars, ambient noise washes up like waves on a beach, and martial rhythms help vocalist Gareth Campesinos! (yes, they all share the surname) get his more strident points across. The title track has the most inventive use of violins heard in rock in a while, strings alternately squalling in utter dismay and swooping along with the guitars in an aerobatic display of grace. Love is the thing, and it hurts:  “I taught myself the only way to get along in love /is to love the other slightly less than you get in return /I keep feeling like I’m being ... undercut.” The smart juxtaposition of shouted twee boy and girl vocals and ferocious indie-punk energy alongside more delicate dynamics creates an intoxicating yin and yang (for example, “You’ll Need Those Fingers for Crossing” is remarkably romantic, but noisy and softly sweet at the same time). There’s a precarious edge here, and a whiff of bitterness. Love ain’t easy, but it sure is inspirational.