Liars have always had an air of unpredictability about them, and no two of their albums are exactly the same. There is a slow progression from noise-rock and post-punk to electronic music but each of their records has moved on in some way from the past (for better or worse). In his latest, Andrew’s movement, both physical and emotional, is immediately obvious as for the first time ever, TFCF (Short for Theme for Crying Fountain), opens with acoustic guitars. Without knowing the context of the record, which also applies to its striking artwork, it may not be particularly clear why Andrew has made the choices he has, although this would ignore Liars’ spontaneity in the first place.
Acoustic guitars are spread all over TFCF though they are often manipulated and cut against sampling, similar to the 'chopped and screwed' technique of Detroit house. The opener ‘The Grand Delusional’ plucks Spanish style guitar playing into what sounds like a grand echo-chasm as Andrew conveys his disappointment and melancholy at the loss of his creative partner and close friend. Elsewhere, ‘No Help Pamphlet’ is a small-scale indie ballad that a young Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse would be proud of, conveying a rarely felt emotion in electronically influenced music: emotion.
| 1 | The Grand Delusional |
| 2 | Clich Suite |
| 3 | Staring At Zero |
| 4 | No Help Pamphlet |
| 5 | Face To Face With My Face |
| 6 | Emblems Of Another Story |
| 7 | No Tree No Branch |
| 8 | Cred Woes |
| 9 | Coins In My Caged Fist |
| 10 | Ripe Ripe Rot |
| 11 | Crying Fountain |
