Sunday 2 May 2010

LIARS – SISTERWORLD 4 TRACK ALBUM SAMPLER (MUTE)


LIARS – SISTERWORLD 4 TRACK ALBUM SAMPLER (MUTE)

This was a freebie promo I picked up at Record Store Day, a four song taster from the latest joint of Liars.

Liars burst onto the scene a few years ago with a genuine flurry and sense of excitement and adventure attached to them that had long felt missing in acts playing the field.  They arrived as part of that whole New York scene/movement that somehow was equal parts post-punk and disco.  At a time when post-rock had really ground guitar music into the dirt thank God some people remembered how to jerk and be jerks.

With that Liars proceeded to wow with sharp stop start motions/gestures and wayward words.  When they kicked into a groove you could not help but move.

Then things went a bit angular, a bit pear-shaped.  Satisfying their muse they investigated odd avenues and less than pleasing directions.  Much of the goodwill earned went away.  You only listen to a drum in so many ways.

Liars are now back with Sisterworld which is their fifth studio album and as ever there is the hope that it destroys.  Please destroy.

The first track of this sampler is “Scissor” which is a suitably odd and disorientating offering.  It’s a slow building burn, like a cult or gang waking before entering the day with gestures that are batshit crazy.  With patience/patients there is pay off.  Following is the excellent entitled “Scarecrows On A Killer Slant” which maintains the movement with further suggestion of a band with blood on its hands and little on its conscience.

Third up is “Proud Evolution” which is a drawn out almost Krautrock excursion.  This is the kind of material that has traditionally served to derail the Liars efforts.  Here however it holds up, holds out being a song that flourishes before your ears.  And the final track is the appropriately entitled “Goodnight Everything” which rolls at the expected pace with all kinds of peripheral items scoring/scouring the surroundings.  Delivered like Beck at a death scene it feels almost slow motion.  Now whether that is a good thing for any kind of music is another question.  It wails then blows its own death.

It’s going to be all right.

Thesaurus moment: gander.

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