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.
The Garden Was Crowded And Outside
Liars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hallway ceiling
It's just four feet wide
With a plastic mountain
Or that looks like...
They cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up
At the medical school
At the medical school
I couldn't tell you that number
Or what his face looked like
He was a raving customer
What he might like
What he might like, like, like, like
They put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me into
the seamless mixer
They put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me into
the seamless mixer
The lyrics in Liars's song The Garden Was Crowded And Outside seem to deal with themes of confinement, dissection, and powerlessness. The opening lines describe an appreciation for the narrow hallway ceiling, which is juxtaposed with the image of a plastic mountain, which seems out of place in such a confined space. This sense of disorientation continues as the repetition of the phrase "they cut me up" suggests a feeling of powerlessness and a loss of control over one's own body. The line about the medical school reinforces this feeling of confinement, as it implies that the singer is imprisoned within an institution that views him as an object to be dissected and studied.
The second half of the lyrics suggest a possible shift in perspective, as the singer turns to the perspective of an observer. They disassociate themselves from a particular experience ("I couldn't tell you that number / Or what his face looked like"), perhaps as a way of coping with trauma. The repetition of the phrase "what he might like" suggests a voyeuristic interest in the subject's desires and internal world, perhaps as a way of reclaiming agency in a situation where the singer feels powerless.
The final lines evoke another image of confinement and loss of control as the singer is "put into the seamless mixer." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for a system or environment that grinds up and homogenizes individuals, reducing them to indistinguishable parts. Overall, the lyrics in The Garden Was Crowded And Outside seem to explore the psychological effects of confinement, disempowerment, and objectification.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like
I have a strong preference for the following things
The hallway ceiling
The upper surface of the corridor
It's just four feet wide
The distance between the two opposite walls measures four feet
With a plastic mountain
There is a man-made structure resembling a large, natural elevation made of synthetic materials
Or that looks like...
Or some other object that is similar in appearance
They cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up, they cut me up
I was dissected multiple times
At the medical school
This occurred in an educational institution where doctors learn their trade
I couldn't tell you that number
I am unable to provide you with that particular numerical value
Or what his face looked like
I have no recollection of his visage
He was a raving customer
He was an enthusiastic patron
What he might like
I speculate about his interests and preferences
They put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me in, they put me into
I was placed unceremoniously inside repeatedly
The seamless mixer
A device that homogenizes substances without leaving any visible lines of separation
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jilly K
Brings back soooooo many good memories, thank you!
Crimson Kelpie
You're welcome! :)