Although initially lumped into the New York dance-punk scene of the early 21st century, they have come to be categorized by their dramatic stylistic shifts between albums, while retaining a consistent interest in rhythm and sound texture. Liars are one of the many contemporary bands to draw from the late 1970's British post-punk movement. Their first album, 2002's They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, bore some resemblance to the work of Delta 5 and Gang of Four, accenting their angular, acerbic punk with modern synths and drum machines. Liar's second album, 2004's They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, eschewed their debut's trendy post-punk aesthetic in favor of dissonant atmospherics and electronic soundscapes more akin to the sound of This Heat. That album stratified fans and critics alike, especially chafing with those who took to They Threw Us All for the clear dance/punk leanings of a number of that album's tracks (e.g. "We Live Northeast of Compton"). 2006 saw the release of Drum's Not Dead., which continued the direction they had taken with They Were Wrong but was met with a much more favorable critical reaction. 2007's self-tited LP, Liars, found the band once again shifting styles, this time towards 60's style garage rock and 70's proto-punk, all through the dark, effects-driven prism that Liars began channeling on They Were Wrong. While more straight-forward than their previous 2 LPs, the record contained the same focus on rhythm and experimentation with the deconstruction of traditional sounds. Similar to Drum's Not Dead. Liars was critically praised and found its way on to Best of 2007 lists. They released Sisterworld, in 2010, which continued in their experimental post-punk direction. Its deluxe edition came with a completely remixed version of the album, with tracks being remixed by artists such as Thom Yorke, Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and Carter Tutti. In 2012, they released WIXIW, which saw the band take an almost entirely electronic direction with their music.
On January 13, 2014, Liars premiered their single "Mess on a Mission" and announced the title of their 7th album as Mess, which was released on March 24 via Mute Records.[17]
TFCF
Edit
On February 20, 2017, Liars updated their site with a short video clip titled TFCF.[18] Another video was later added, called TFCF H, and then TFCF E, and so on. When taking the last letter of each of these videos, the word THEME is spelled out. On June 2, the band released four more videos which spell out the word FROM.[19] On June 15 and June 24, more videos were released spelling the words CRYING and FOUNTAIN, respectively. On May 18, Andrew announced a new Liars album to be released sometime in August, along with the amicable departure of founding member Aaron Hemphill. He will go on tour from August with a new backup band.
The initialism TFCF was the title of the band's LP which was released on August 25, 2017. Liars have, as a matter of course, sounded radically different with each album, pursuing new concepts and occupying diverse mindsets. On this, Liars’ eighth studio album, the bustling backdrops of Los Angeles, Berlin and New York have been replaced with a presence far more intimate and autobiographical.[citation needed]
The Apple Drop
Edit
On May 4, 2021, Liars announced the release of a new album, titled The Apple Drop, which was released on August 6.
Protection
Liars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going out for lifeguards
And snuck into the caves where
All the kids were smoking
And jeans were in our uniform
But not unless the calves were thin
And I will take a Polaroid
You will show me how to drink
You remember, don't you baby?
Paranoid, no prescription
You believed
I let you die
When you close your eyes
I don't need protection
See those clouds arise
Wasn't my intention
Lately I'm fucked up
But I don't regret it
Feels like when we lay
Couldn't wear the crown
Darkness falls away
Then it's only golden
Where are we today?
Somewhere near our future
So it can be saved
At least it can be reckoned
Each time we come through
Darling, you will listen
The first verse of Liars' song "Protection" reminisces about a rebellious past. The singer remembers sneaking into a cave to smoke with other kids while wearing tight jeans. The singer plans to capture the moment with a Polaroid camera, while the other person, who seems to be more experienced, will show the singer how to drink. The reference to "lifeguards" may imply a summer job, a place where the two may have first met. The summer is again evoked in the line, "Summertime, the hottest day, you remember, don't you baby?" The second half of the verse takes on a darker tone, as the singer mentions "Paranoid, no prescription, you believed, I let you die." The relationship between the singer and the other person seems to have gone awry, and the singer feels guilty for not being able to do more.
The chorus of the song describes a feeling of closure, or perhaps a sense of acceptance. The singer tells the other person that they don't need protection when they close their eyes, suggesting that they have come to terms with what has happened. The image of clouds rising may symbolize a sense of release or ascension. The line, "Wasn't my intention," implies that the singer may feel responsible for the other person's death (which is never explicitly stated).
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember when we were
Do you recall the time when we were together
Going out for lifeguards
We were going out to swim with the lifeguards
And snuck into the caves where
We crept into the caves where
All the kids were smoking
All the young ones were smoking
And jeans were in our uniform
Denims were a part of our outfit
But not unless the calves were thin
That is, only if one's calves were slim
And I will take a Polaroid
And I will capture a moment with my Polaroid camera
You will show me how to drink
You will explain how one drinks
Summertime, the hottest day
Taking place in the summer, the hottest day
You remember, don't you baby?
Baby, you do remember, right?
Paranoid, no prescription
Feeling paranoid, without any prescribed medication
You believed
You had faith in me
I let you die
But still, I failed you
When you close your eyes
When you shut your eyes
I don't need protection
I do not want any security
See those clouds arise
Notice how those clouds build up
Wasn't my intention
I never meant for it to happen
Lately I'm fucked up
Recently, I am in a bad way
But I don't regret it
However, it doesn't bother me
Feels like when we lay
It seems like when we were lying down
Couldn't wear the crown
There was no way to be victorious
Darkness falls away
The darkness disappears
Then it's only golden
Leaving only a golden hue
Where are we today?
Where do we find ourselves today?
Somewhere near our future
Perhaps somewhere in our future
So it can be saved
So that it may be salvaged
At least it can be reckoned
Howbeit, it may still be accounted for
Each time we come through
Every time we make it through
Darling, you will listen
My dear, you must hear me out
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin
Damn, I don't think Liars has ever cut this deep for me
Surreal Tymes
I'm hearing Liars for the 1st time, though I've heard them before.