Wixiw

Electronic/psychedelic/experimental
If Liars can be defined by anything, they can be defined by their perpetually shifting musical style. Marking another stylistic shift, this album consists mostly of electronics. Liars’ dark, paranoiac tendencies are still everywhere in these songs, though. To steal from Mister Esquire a little, this is a damn fine album by a damn fine band. Favorites: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10. No FCCs detected.

1. *(4:08)—Slow. Calm and hypnotic. Lots of synths and handclaps. The manipulated electronic snare is especially cool.
2. *(4:38)—Mid-tempo. Noir electronica. Lots of scattered sounding, almost IDM drums and synths.
3. *(5:10)—Medium-fast. False start. Propulsive but restrained. Lots of backward synths. Trippy ending. Way cool. For those less positively inclined toward fraternities, the title makes this song a must during rush week (no lyrics here about frats, though, thank goodness—I think the title actually refers to a football team).
4. (3:18)—Mid-tempo. Very danceable, almost toward a psychedelic hip-hop sound.
5. (2:03)—Beat-less. Bird sounds, acoustic guitar, vocals, and one wavering synth.
6. *(6:13)—Mid-tempo. For the first minute, lots of synths and a loping beat. Momentarily, almost everything drops out of the mix. Then the song morphs into a creepy, electronically driven incantation.
7. (4:40)—Mid-tempo dance beat. Processed vocals and piano start the song. Various pretty sounds enter as the song progresses.
8. (3:30)—Mid-tempo. IDM-ish beat, guitars, and distorted synths.
9. *(3:47)—Mid-tempo. Spine chilling combination of vocals and bass at the beginning. Subdued, fluttery beat. Synths enter to flesh out the song. Gorgeous.
10. *(3:02)—Mid-tempo. In Liars’ alternate universe, this is the hit song playing in all the clubs. Distorted vocals and distorted synths.
11. (2:37)—Medium-slow. Electronic beat, acoustic guitar, and echo-y vocals.