Liars - Sisterworld

Inspired by the profound sense of alienation that clouds the city of Los Angeles, Liars present the abrasive Sisterworld: a place where funeral choir vocals are met with reckless thrash-punk abandon (Scissor) and frontman Angus Andrew dares to ask ‘why’d you pass the bum on the street?’ (Scarecrows on a Killer Slant).

Distortion and delay take prominence over their old friend Drum, and although lulling cuts like Drip and the hazy, Y Control aping Proud Evolution give measured respite from the minefield of barbed guitars and feral time shifts, there’s a relative directness at play which scratches an itch that the trio’s ADD has often left in their wake.

The companion disc of remixes was still under strict lock and key as we went to print, but with reinterpretations from kindred spirits like Melvins, Bradford Cox and Suicide’s Alan Vega beefing up the tracklist, Sisterworld looks like an attractive getaway this spring. [Dave Kerr]