by Conor Lochrie (@conornoconnor)
How do you sum up the sound of Liars? How to contain the uncontainable would be a better question. For twenty years, the New York band have traversed everything from millennium punk to electronica to dance and funk; over ten albums, their commitment to only unpredictability is, honestly, commendable.
The art rock outfit have in the last few years been veering towards something more akin to ‘auteur rock’: after the departure of founding member Aaron Hemphill, Angus Andrew has essentially helmed their last few records himself, from 2017’s TFCF to this month’s latest release, The Apple Drop. He does recruit the aid of drummer Laurence Pike and multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell, though, and they do help enhance the expansive and cinematic sound of the album. And what a grand sound it is: The Apple Drop is a resounding atmospheric epic, a truly uneasy and profoundly unsettling creation.
“The Start” starts the album off with no easing in, a trippy, hypnotic piece that weaves and distorts the senses. “Slow and Turn Inward” is just as mysterious, densely packed with suffocating but alluring instrumentals. Strange synths populate “Sekwar” as Andrew drops an insouciant spoken word monologue. “Big Appetite” then returns the rockiness with an eerie gritty riff. That first half of the record is as pressing and sharp as they come, all while still being intriguingly experimental.
Andrew’s voice is a flexible tool throughout. It trembles and wobbles at some points without losing its swaggering confidence; he has a remarkable way of sounding both innately vulnerable and sizzlingly sinister. Contradictory notes appear in the rhythm too: the crackling garage rock of “My Pulse To Ponder” is followed by the twitchy electronica of “Leisure War,” while the light melancholic airiness of “King Of The Crooks” is sharply upended by the menacing drone of “Acid Crop”.
Such a long time into their existence, Liars (and Andrew) don’t seem to be flagging in any way. If anything, this is one of their most resounding records, its massive soundscape proving that the confounding carnage of this band has many more years in it yet.