I Yank My Eyebrow into a Question; Liars, Drum's Not Dead
Written: Sep 06 '06 (Updated Sep 06 '06)
Product Rating:
Pros: That adorable drum!
Cons: That sinister heart attack!
The Bottom Line: This album is a heartwarming and true to life lesson on the dangers of a drum's consumption of meat and dairy products coupled with a lack of exercise. Tragic stuff.
salivation's Full Review: Drum's Not Dead by Liars
One of the most impressive things about Liars is their constant ability to expand into different musical territory while still maintaining that indie/post rock vibe. In fact, they always reminded me of Nirvana, with their stupid clever lyrics and powerful, propulsive drumming.
With their debut LP, They Threw us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top?, they were a straight up indie rock band with experimental interests in more electronic beats. Largely though, what carried them on this album was this very overgrown teenage attitude and incredible mix of energy and unshakeably intelligent silliness. With a 30 minute song where 25 minutes is repeating the final seconds of those first five, it was clear they weren't afraid to experiment.
Their subsequent release was a complete 180, though, and They Were Wrong So We Drowned turned out to be a caustic, buried concept album involving witchcraft and the paranormal. I consider this the highlight of their carreer due to the ability to meld the details of the concept with their impossibly difficult, tuneless songs that focused far more on beat than anything that resembled melody.
Now, in 2006, they have Drum's Not Dead; their most difficult work to date. Who could've thought that three lefts would take you somewhere completely different altogether. DND forgoes any single song to deliver one singly evolving piece of music that rocks gently in an odd artistic bent.
The greatest thing about Liars is their concepts, all the albums have great concepts that work out on their own accord- in DnD the story reads almost as a creative struggle between a drum and a "Mountain of Heart attack". It's as fascinating as it is ridiculous, and thus, the listener might be willing to give this album a second chance even though it's initially just a mess.
Of course, it actually does really well in telling its story. From the slow foreshadowing of the intro Be Quiet Mt. Heart Attack!, to the wrenchingly retrospective Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack the character known as drum is obviously cared for by the narrators, and the progression of the tale is done very cleverly, although you'd have to pick through lyrics, which means the aural experience within itself is just an intense climb and fall. About as close to a fall from a rollercoaster as a drum is ever going to experience.
If this all seems confusing, it is. But that's ok, because once you put it on you will likely be more confused. The opening track features swirling feedback with light humming and threatening builds of drum.
This kicks right into the tribal and intense Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack (The similarly named songs also add to the confusion) which is not far different from the previous track musically, just faster and more intense. Once this passes the album really begins to build and show its teeth, with the puzzling Visit from Drum, again tribal but more contemplative and careful. The ability to use two drumkits in unison is what makes the beats so important and vital to the overall song.
The occasional use of keyboards also create a fascinating impression, such as the twinkling in Drum Gets a Glimpse. One of the highlights of the album, though, is It Fit When I Was a Kid, a dark and throbbing venture into the night with stumping lyrics and a pulsing beat. The climb and fall of the music, along with the little details, puts this one over the top. The lyrics are inquesitive and serve to paint an abstract picture.
We were walking in the snow
Down the street from your front door
I jumped the neighbor's fence at dawn
Danced my way across your lawn
Used a diamond on the glass
Slithered slowly through the dark
Made my up all your stairs
Crystals flying everywhere
When the song blacks out halfway through, things pick up a much darker tone, as they threaten to murder the...drum. Yeah...I think...
This murks right into the dark and completely distressing The Wrong Coat for You Mount Heart Attack, yet another eerily dark track, I suppose this is the point where they have the drum tied to a chair and are issuing death threats. And if that sounds crazy...wait until you find out the band's secret love for the drum.
There are numerous odd sequences that act as segues as well, such as the 3 minute It's all Blooming Now Mt. Heart Attack, where what sounds like bare drumstick tapping sits against a very desolate and unsettling wall of distortion. Drum and the Unconfortable Can is the closest these guys get to their older work, and the subsequent tracks are most instrumental meant to throw you down a mountain head first...and it works, for the most part.
Once you end up on the other side, it lets the inconsistencies and confusion in the album pass. The story might make little sense to anyone (On purpose), but once that last track kicks in, it certainly feels like you and the drumset have gone on a wonderful journey over the rainbow, have had your home broken into- been tied to a chair and smacked around- thrown into a straightjacket and shoved off a mountain.
The twinkling Other Side of Mount Heart Attack creates the only truly impressionable sense of melody with a quiet song of intentional lullaby quality. If the album did not have this as a closer, it would likely be one of the worst things ever written. It rests on the delicate balance of being the sum of all its parts together. Because the concept is so rediculous and the lyrics so obtuse- and that it is more of an avalanche than a set of songs- it is something often more admired than enjoyed.
That said, you can enjoy that admiration, and that's something. All of the Liars albums radiate an undeniable style that becomes more and more original and infectious with repeat listens, and that's no different here. While not a proper album- it pushes more into the range of experimental suites like those of Animal Collective, while remaining entirely focused and of its own set. Because of that, the album works really well singularly- but splice the songs up and it's a mess. That said, it's incredibly unique and while most listeners probably won't know how to make sense of it, the select few that do will find a deep admiration of its accomplishments.
Recommended tracks:
3- A Visit from Drum
5- It fit When I Was a Kid
9- Drum and the Uncomfortable Can
12- The Other Side of Mount Heart Attack
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