- Artist
- Liars
- Label
- Mute
- Release date
- 20th August 2007
- Genre
- Rock
Art-rockers fearlessly switch to noise pop and nail a rival to Psychocandy
If the name Liars rings a bell, unless you adore wilfully obscure conceptual noisy art-rock, it’s probably not for their music. In the early Noughties, Liars frontman Angus Andrew was best known for being the partner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O and the subject of their indie tearjerker Maps. Meanwhile, the US trio’s previous releases ploughed their own idiosyncratic furrow - 2006’s critically acclaimed Drums Not Dead was a concept album of unsettling noise and maniacal drumming.
Thus, this fourth album is something of a shock. Liars have only gone and written some pop songs. Of course, they’re melded to fuzzy guitars and brutal rhythms but somehow prove immediate, emotional and exhilarating. Noise-pop has perhaps not sounded this beautiful since the Jesus And Mary Chain and Clear Island, What Would They Know and especially Freak Out all evoke JAMC’s Psychocandy. But Liars goes much further: Houseclouds is the funky indie Kasabian could only dream of composing, Sailing To Byzantium’s prog keyboard march is like a spooky Super Furry Animals while epic closer Protection melds frosty Kraftwerk synths and beats to Mercury Rev-like wistfulness. An album this good should finally get Liars known for all the right reasons.
More to try: Jesus And Mary Chain: Psychocandy Battles: Mirrored Liars: Drum’s Not Dead
