Dance-punk? In the good old days when punk (rock) actually meant something, I mean more then a dress code or a hair style, dance-punk would be an insult or a blasphemy, but those days are long gone and the whole idea was diluted and our perception distorted. There is no more ideology, no moral concepts and generally, no content, substance in the music – and arts – generally.
But Liars it’s a completely different story!
If their previous album, “WIXIW” released in 2012 was a clear move into the electronic/synthetic area of the music, while some critics consider it the “most accessible album to date” by the band. “Mess” bring the experiments and sounds of its predecessor right up to the dancefloor. So, this is dance-punk, but in a very good sense.
And maybe this is not the album of the year – although I love it throughout -, the almost title track of the record, “Mess On A Mission” it’s so far, the song, the anthem of the year. Once you heard it, you can not get rid of it and you will have to sing/scream along: “Facts are fact and fiction’s fiction… A mess on a mission, Mess on a mission!!”
“Cast out of culture
Compound of patience
Reel out rigor
Trash the book the films are based on.
I can’t go long without assistance
I can’t go far
Trash the book the films are based on.
Facts are fact and fiction’s fiction
A mess on a mission”
The album, it’s a 55 minutes journey in and out of electronic music with attitude and content. Probably not your typical dancefloor product, it might be a little bit disturbing and quite odd for some, but still extremely smartly build up and groovy throughout.
It’s not lollipop or bubble gum punk product as the industry would love to reduce the whole post-punk movement and ridiculise it this way, but a quite gloomy trip to the darkest corners of the minimal electronic music. Reminds me sometimes of Aphex Twin, but they only took some of their vibes and bring them into the future in their own way. This is IDM = intelligent dance music, and not dance music for dead dummies.
There are a couple of exceptional and addictive songs such as “Mess On A Mission”, “Vox Tuned D.E.D.” “Mask Maker” and “Pro Anti Anti”; and there are a lot of experimental, dark and sometimes quite freaking out songs. Who need pills when we have “Mess”?
Tracklist:
01 – Mask Maker
02 – Vox Tuned D.E.D.
03 – I’m No Gold
04 – Pro Anti Anti
05 – Can’t Hear Well
06 – Mess On A Mission
07 – Darkslide
08 – Boyzone
09 – Dress Walker
10 – Perpetual Village
11 – Left Speaker Blown
Buy two copies just to be sure they will do another one!!
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