New Liars Music Hits The Web, Is Predictably Unpredictable

Whispers in recent weeks spoke of the next album by Liars; more specifically, that it had been recorded and was coming soon. Well, the wait is nearly over for fans of the New York avant-garde punk/rock/freak rockers. They've christened their sixth album WIXIW and set it for a June release. Of course, what good is announcing a new album without a taste of what's to come? Soundcloud has a stream of first single No. 1 Against the Rush, which I've helpfully linked to right here for your amusement and/or bewilderment.

After such genre-busting headtrips as They Were Wrong So We Drowned and Drum's Not Dead, there's pretty much nothing Liars can do that would shock me now. And yet, with this new single, they've certainly surprised. Having apparently tired of their foray into more straightforward rock territory, Liars have practically kicked guitars to the curb and taken a left turn down Electric Avenue. The fury present in much if their first decade's work is notably absent as well, the focus landing more heavily on atmosphere and soundscape than abrasion and difficulty. Naturally, one cannot surmise anything from one listen of a Liars single, let alone make any assumptions about the album as a whole. This is where I'd normally say "we'll find out what it all means when the album comes out" but, with Liars, albums usually produce more questions than answers. It's just one of the reasons I always look forward to their releases with a great deal of interest. Because even if they can't shock me anymore, they never fail to thrill me.

WIXIW is out June 5th on Mute.

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