Liars

(Mute)

After the lathered clamor of 2006’s Drum’s Not Dead and 2004’s challenging They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, it was evolve or die for Liars. Indeed, the Brooklyn trio’s fourth album has made it out of the terrible twos, and growing pains have produced a curious pastiche. Opener “Plaster Casts of Everything” arouses the primal dance-punk fear of their debut via jackhammer drums and “Freak Out” is undeniably the Jesus & Mary Chain. The songs are darker as well; frontman Angus Andrew is now channeling Warsaw-era Ian Curtis and it makes for some of Liars‘ best songs (the tone deafness of “Leather Prowler,” the darkwave slouch of “Pure Unevil” and “What Would They Know”). There are some cuts that should have been, leaving half of Liars to feel bite-sized, but what did you expect, a pop album? (The Liars open for Interpol at Stubb’s Wednesday, Sept. 26.)

***

This article appears in September 14 • 2007.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US