Liars, Liars

Consider this truth: Liars has produced a solid new album. With three respectable records and a national tour with indie favorites Interpol behind them, Liars’ should be prepared to greet new and old fans and much well-deserved attention. Liars is a haunting unraveling, still a bit jagged and gritty yet easier to embrace than past works. The album’s first track and single, “Plaster Casts of Everything,” starts off strong with an urgent beat and leads to visions of being on speed in a Haunted House. “Freak Out,” an irresistibly catchy tune, and “Clear Island,” an edgier, drum-banging track, both contribute to the album’s deliciously dark and creepy undertones. Mellower songs such as “Leather Prowler” and “Sailing to Byzantium” both seem to slowly climb a spiral staircase in sound while playing up frontman Angus Andrew’s often monotone voice. With their fourth album, Liars have emerged from the somewhat confining label of “art rock” with a familiar yet progressive sound — a little less art, a little more rock, and still very bewitching.