Review: Liars - Mess
[Mute; 2014]
Rating: 8/10
By Sam Boyer, Blogs Editor
Key Tracks: “Mask Maker,” “Pro Anti Anti,” “Dress Walker”“Take my pants off / Use my socks / Smell my socks / Eat my face off.”Those are the first words uttered on Mess, Liars’ latest foray into electronic territory. Those familiar with this band are aware that Liars have based an entire career on constant left turns--they have never been tethered to one genre for an extended period of time. But unlike a NASCAR race, this left turn isn’t just another familiar loop.Mess is a darkly danceable record that will make even the most stoic goth kid bob their head. And as if that wasn’t a drastic enough change of pace, the album gradually moves from murky electro-pop to a slightly more abstract brand of ambient. Chord changes beget mood changes, and by the end of this record, the gloom is palpable.Now back to the absurd lyrics of “Mask Maker,” the album’s opening track. Singer Angus Andrew croaks these ruminations about socks through a metric ton of vocal effects, giving the track a nice mix of menace and preposterousness.The danceable beats continue throughout the first half of the album, incorporating just about every electronic subgenre under the sun (thankfully minus dubstep). “Pro Anti Anti” has a bit of an industrial feel to it, making it easily comparable to a Trent Reznor pet project.“Can’t Hear Well” and “I’m No Gold” evoke Violator-era Depeche Modewith their sinister vocals and shady synth work. But by the halfway mark, Mess starts sounding less like Depeche Mode and more likeAphex Twin.The severe shift is a bold move, but it works. Perhaps Liars wanted to give their audience a break from the goth rave they’ve got going on, or perhaps they just wanted to “mess” with us. Excuse the terrible pun. Either way, these guys know what they’re doing.The shift begins with “Darkslide,” a track marked with a minimalistic beat and some creepy electronic effects. There is definitely more room for experimentation on these ambient tracks, and Liars fills up every second with new textures.“Dress Walker” is especially successful. Andrew’s vocals are robotic, mirroring the instrumentals. The whole track echoes as if it were recorded in a metal chamber somewhere deep underground. It’s calming, yet slightly unnerving, like the sound of a wind chime when there is no wind.By the time the final track “Left Speaker Blown” rolls around, the album has become fully abstract. The beats are solid, but the vocals sound distant. It might have been a mistake to end the album on this note, but it’s fascinating to hear the band deconstruct its own music over the course of an hour.Mess is yet another step in the long evolution of Liars, and it’s certainly the most experimental so far. Electro-pop and ambient make for a ominously groovy record.
