Liars

When Liars threw everyone off by releasing demented, witch-themed prog noise as their second album, it was clear that not even the almighty would know what their next move would be. But having solidified their fan base with albums three and four, Liars return with Sisterworld, which despite the band admitting is their darkest album yet, features the most lineage between two of their albums yet. It's surprising, since front-man Angus Andrews left his home of Berlin (where they recorded both 2006's Not Dead and 2007's Liars) to join Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross in Los Angeles, a city whose dark, alienating underbelly ended up serving as the muse for Sisterworld's looming tone. The city may have taken them to a darker place, lyrically and thematically, but it's also brought out the most lucid songs Liars have written so far. "Scarecrows On A Killer Slant" drones and thrashes, but produces arguably the band's most tremendous chorus to date. "Proud Evolution" flutters with delayed guitars and a tempered motorik beat that conjures up a titular sing-along. And the piercing, tinny guitars hammer "The Overachievers" into a pure throwback to Black Flag's "TV Party" that culminates with a chant of "L.A.! L.A.!" Sisterworld may not be the unexpected new direction some expected, but this type of consistency benefits an unpredictable band like Liars, as a surprise party can lose its novelty after three in a row.