LI-EEEEEE-ARRRRS, come out to PLAY-EEEEEEE-AAAAAY! It is more than rumored that you can sync-up Dark Side of the Moon to a muted Wizard of Oz such that the album provides a perfect soundtrack to the film. Ebbing and flowing seamlessly in-step with each scene. I am convinced the Liar's 2006 release, Drums Not Dead, provides a perfect soundtrack to some yet to be made feature. Something that might combine the creepy, tragic struggles of The Warriors with the epic, fantastical journey of The Hobbit draped in a cold, heavy, futuristic, urban, Blade Runner style setting. The story is certain to involve a long arduous journey both outward and inward, as this album is constantly on the move. And the battles are of the timeless type: Good vs. Evil, Dynamism vs. Immobility, Drum vs. Mt. Heart Attack.
The album starts off with an obvious building of tension between two separate and opposing forces. One fast approaching the other, each unaware of their impending collision and yet each acutely sensing something is happening. It transitions into a resounding battle cry whereby the two clash abruptly and deliberately and are locked in an intense, bloody battle. The scene is one of fast-paced confusion peppered with musical pauses to mark the catching of breath and as a precursor for subsequent onslaughts. Then the smoke clears, unveiling few survivors. Simple drumstick clicks and tame, repetitive floor toms are accompanied by angelic falsetto vocals delivering ominous messages to the survivors as they continue their journey. Now through a deep, dark forest, certain to be haunted. Stinging, abrasive piano chords hiding in dark places occasionally pop out to scare the crap out of you. Finally the forest clears and the painful journey home ends in a realization that the place they have fought all night to get back to is nothing but a burned and barren wasteland. Those angelic voices now steadily delivering the mantra: "It seems like all our friends have gone”.
And we are just now starting track 5!
The album continues to twist and turn and takes you through indecision, anxiety, self-destructive curiosity, and snippets of drug-induced dream sequence scenes. There are no happy endings, nor are any loose ends neatly tied. It is a whirlwind ride that leaves you slightly confused, a bit fatigued, but most certainly better off than you were before the journey. You push play again, and realize it improves with each cycle.
Their much acclaimed power-punk-pop 2001 debut, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, thrilled the trucker-hat wearing hipster crowd, but must have left the Liar's a bit empty, They embarked on a soul-searching mission for substance. They stopped along the way to make They Were Wrong, So We Drowned which left many fans and critics wondering if they knew where the hell they were going, and if these experiments would lead anywhere. Drum's Not Dead will turn even their most staunch critics into believers. It provides undeniable proof that the Liar's have found their way, and are continuing to learn and grow musically.
