Liars – WIXIW

Constructed around nebulous themes of doubt, fear and introspection, WIXIW finds Liars spinning a timbrally-rich web of mangled samples, sparing instrumentation and synthetic tones. They've dabbled in electronics before, most notably on 2004's They Were So Wrong So We Drowned, but WIXIW is an infinitely more subtle beast; its supple rhythms and repetitious melodic motifs are apt to seep their way into your subconscious rather than assault you with shock and awe.

Although the tempos remain fairly sedate for the duration and the gently see-sawing vocal lines are much of a muchness, the devil is really in the details. Octagon employs Basic Channel synth delays and queasy, dreamy samples which pitch and flutter as though teased by spectral hands, while the album's hypnotic Philip Glass-via-Suicide title track is as unsettling as it is beautiful. It could take a good few listens to click but this slow burner yields rich rewards.