The rockier songs have a vague whiff of Faith No More’s deepest cuts, or even the lurching noir-rock of Tomahawk ... On the poppier moments he flaunts his range more confidently than ever. There’s a lot to take in.
The experimental-noise mainstay rebounds from the loss of their founding members — and the resulting lackluster solo album — by adding three new players and in the process completely justifying at least another 20 years’ worth of albums.
If The Apple Drop is more, in light of their history, a considered experiential teaser than a synapse frazzler, it's his choice. Once more, expectation can go to hell.
A deliciously unsettling and artful listening experience.
The music never explodes into complete madness, but rather bubbles along slowly, suggesting that the violence is mere moments away ... Horror fans take note. This is how you create terror.
A reinvigorated return, The Apple Drop shows that Liars can still reinvent their music and surprise listeners as they close out their second decade.
He pushes his songs forward with just the right amount of old and new—all without losing his adventurous drive. He takes us into the darkest hallways of his mind with, ironically, a rejuvenated zest.
With new collaborators and a little psychedelic aid, the sculpted rhythms and dark-hued instrumentation of Angus Andrew’s long-running art-rock project feel like a summation and a fresh start.
The Apple Drop, the outfit’s tenth full-length release, ... touches on some of Liars’ finest points, while propelling Andrew into bold new sonic landscapes.
There may not be anything to match the career high spots of ‘The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack’ or ‘Mess on a Mission’, but Liars continue to quietly amass one of the most compelling bodies of work in modern music.
The Apple Drop is another step forward in Liars’ constantly evolving sonic journey.
Liars' tenth album is a spotty affair with showy highs, pulpy mediocrity and enigmatic experiments.
NO NUANCE REVIEW
I don’t know, there were some cool ideas and the production was pretty cinematic sounding, but it honestly felt like I was listening to one long forty five minute song. And not in a cool prog rock way, like a “everything sounds too similar and nothing really sticks out” kind of way.
I’ll say it, this is the best lp from liars. Going back to a more rock orientated style than the last few records, Angus and the team continue to experiment with sound and space while making it an enjoyable listen to whatever orientation of music you’re into.
From repetitive melodies sucking you into a trance to crescendos that tear through fabric of sound, Apple Drop delivers an idyllic dark rock record with a broad range of influences and styles presented in that bubble.
Most of ... read more
"They tell me I'm a juiced up
worn out sad sack
And they can't figure out what I'm trying to do here
Except stand around and be a dick"
Its like my experience at aoty! jk jk, lets get on with it.
After Aaron Hemphill left the band post "Mess", Angus Andrew became the loan Liar. The wedding dress album covers from TFCF & Titles With The Word Fountain perhaps reflect on the marriage of being in a band, and the breaking up of said "marriage". After the two ... read more
This is a pretty interesting release but one that, even when revisiting, I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to be taking away from. The instrumentals are usually in the vein of what I like in this type of music. It's pretty heavy at points, but also gets somewhat calmer and more toned down, too. There's close to enough variety to keep me interested at the very least, and the mixing is all on point.
The vocals and lyricism is where I start to get kind of distracted from it all. First, the ... read more
This wasn't a bad album by any means, but it was almost too varied. There are quite a few different styles here, and I don't think they all meshed together very well. Sure, they can be nice on their own, but it creates a lack of coherency. The instrumentation was pretty solid, and the "experimental" aspects of this were also pretty nice. However, the lyrics can be a bit strange at times, and on the occasion, the deliveries come off as corny or wack. Overall, this was a good project, ... read more
1 | The Start 3:51 | 76 |
2 | Slow and Turn Inward 3:36 | 75 |
3 | Sekwar 4:34 | 85 |
4 | Big Appetite 5:16 | 83 |
5 | From What the Never Was 4:14 | 77 |
6 | Star Search 3:48 | 77 |
7 | My Pulse to Ponder 3:03 | 82 |
8 | Leisure War 3:26 | 73 |
9 | King of the Crooks 3:45 | 75 |
10 | Acid Crop 4:42 | 76 |
11 | New Planets New Undoings 2:43 | 66 |
#6 | / | Record Collector |
#12 | / | The Quietus |
#39 | / | musicOMH |