Review: Liars, ‘Sisterworld’

7

SPIN Rating: 7 of 10
Release Date: December 17, 2015
Label: mute

When in Rome, sack it. That’s been Liars’ m.o., whether arting up Brooklyn post-punk with witchy concepts or conquering German abstraction in Berlin. The globe-trotting trio’s fifth album is a total Los Angeles record, but not the Tom Petty, good-vibes kind. Sisterworld veers between frenzy and foreboding, exploring the City of Angels’ demonic side, from Charles Manson to Bret Easton Ellis, while producer Tom Biller adds richly detailed Hollywood orchestration. When frontman Angus Andrew howls over discordant guitars on “The Over­achievers,” “L.A.” sounds a lot like “help me.”