The Apple Drop by Liars

Ten albums in and the Liars evolution continues apace. As membership dwindled over their 20 year history to the point that main man Angus Andrew was the only Liar standing (solely responsible for 2017s TFCF and 2018s Titles With The Word Fountain) the band's sound undulated in synch. But, like The Fall, with a history of personnel changes and resultant albums, whether the music is electronic, post-punk, experimental or rock, the lead vocalist is the band. Andrew's Thurston Moore-esque singing drawl is the lubricant that coats and conserves his output, whoever he's working with at any given time.

So Liars are a bona-fide band again with two classically trained musicians, multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell and PVT drummer Laurence Pike, now helping Angus breathe new life into old ideas. We're at the Hail To The Thief stage where a band stops breaking new ground and just makes great music, aka wise, experienced songwriting.

On each project I've essentially abandoned previous methods and attempted to instead learn different ways of writing and producing songs. Where once I perceived this journey as a straight line, I'm increasingly realising my trajectory is more akin to a spiral. As new ideas are generated, older ones take on new meaning and evolve further.

Angus Andrew

Less experimental than previous work, whether it's the stadium-shaking chord sequence on Big Appetite, the wonky synth-horn accompaniment to Sekwar's monologue or the memorable 'I cut my throat' sample on My Pulse to Ponder, The Apple Drop is eleven tracks sequenced coherently, with plenty of catchy choruses and joyous riffs to signpost the complex narratives, balancing the ingredients of success with poise.