Mess

Styles: dance, dance?, Liars, minimal techno, ambient

Let me be perfectly frank: 1) Drum's Not Dead is my favorite album of all time 2) my show is named after a Liars song 3) and I genuinely think Liars are the best band making music today. So I'm both the perfect and worst person to review this album. My devotion to the band (bordering on religious fervor) will doubtlessly help me overlook any shortcomings, but I'm also a prime example of what Liars' music can do to people. And this record is no different. After an intimate, beautiful, excursion into electronic music with WIXIW, Liars have returned with Mess. While WIXIW often explored themes of personal anxiety, this new record drips with confidence. Every sound is pushed to its limit, every track is pumped full of Liars' dangerous energy. So play it, love it, worship it. It's that damn good. Favorites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10. FCCs: none.

Others: Factory Floor, Suuns, Liars, Actress, Oneohtrix Point Never, Aphex Twin

1. **** (4:07) Pitch distorted Darth Vader vox with lines like "Take my socks off". Infectious synth and massive 4/4 beat. Damn, I love you Liars. Transitions well into track 2.
2. *** (4:32) Bassy synth line with lead singer Angus Andrews' trademark deep croon. Added string elements crop up midway through. Oneohtrix Point Never-esque vocal samples toward the end.
3. *** (6:11) Ominous overlapping synth tones. Retains 4/4 beat with some added bass hits. Grainy vox. Ends with organ and falsetto vocals.
4. **** (4:20) Industrial stomper with gritty synths. Angues rattles off lyrics like a doomsday preacher. Beautiful breakdown and harp (?) plucks.
5. *** (3:26) Beatless. Pulsing synths and Angus' muffled voice. Classic tender Liars respite before throwing the listener back into the onslaught.
6. ***** (4:05) Lead single and for a reason. Insanely catchy refrain of "facts are facts and fiction's fiction". Play this at your next party and laugh to yourself that you got people to dance to Liars.
7. (3:51) * Dark squelchy instrumental. Dense and busy with minute shifts in texture. Like nothing Liars have ever attempted before.
8. (4:42) Complex, jagged electronic music. Sample of what sounds like a filing cabinet drawer. Off kilter beat and mumbled half-asleep vocals from Angus. Say goodbye to the dance-y first half of the album.
9. (4:03) * Glitchy Aphex Twin feel. Odd, vocoded vox to start. Second half Angus breaks free and give one of his best vocal performances. Hand clap beats and great little synth solo.
10. **** (9:00) One of Liars' longest ever songs. Falsetto vocals and eerie, icy atmospheres. Minimal techno beat but decidedly un-danceable. Really fascinating, brave track with endless detail to discover.
11. * (7:00) Droning beatless closer. Gentle with gorgeous more organic guitar sounds. Continues Liars' streak of wonderfully soft last tracks. Ends with instructional video vocal sample.