Liars - Sisterworld (2010)

Liars are all about atmosphere and mood, but they play songs that are structured in the standard rock format, so they are a bit odd to say the least. The buzz around their back catalog, especially Drum’s Not Dead (2006) outshadowed my actual impression of the music, which was of appreciation without being overly enthused. The vocals are very understated, and the synthesizers, guitar, and percussion produce sounds that are hard to latch onto. These aren’t rock songs, but they don’t feel like the non-rock music I’m used to. It doesn’t really feel like a progression, like post-rock. It doesn’t have the free-flowing nature of the better jazz or electronic albums I’ve heard. And it doesn’t have anything that immediately jumps out at the listener, so (unless you’ve been swept in by the hype) you’re facing the moodiness of these songs, most of which convey images of confusion. I think the impression most people will get is that this is a challenging album, and that will undoubtedly appeal to many people who will find the overall mood of this album brilliant. But, listeners should be prepared for something unwaveringly moody, and if they can get past that, they’ll find a very interesting album that doesn’t sound like much else out there.

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