Mess

Mess is the follow up to 2012's WIXIW, the sound of a band in an ambiguous, fragile in-between state. Mess, on the other hand, is Liars with their balls out - an angry, ecstatic, primal burst of ritualistic electronics that sacrifices self persecution for potent, purposeful abandon. Produced by Angus Andrew and mixed by Timothy 'Q' Wiles (whose previous production credits include label-mates VCMG), the new album is less concerned with place as on previous albums, but sees the band back in their own studio in LA. Liars' career has seen the band rattle through pigeonholes in an attempt to avoid them all together: brittle yet taught punk funk; miminal no-wave; ecstatic noise-pop; 21st-century garage rock; post-millennial post-rock; delicate electronics; reaching here, where Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross now find themselves - maybe not quite at ease with the world, but staring it straight in the eye while showing their teeth.