Reviews (page 2 of 7)
earlier this week i contracted some sort of condition that leaves a constant smell in my nose that i feel everywhere i go but no one else does. it is not a good smell, almost like cheap paint. it's not unbearable and it's usually not very strong but sometimes it flares up and i can feel every note of it. i thought it would be cool to make music that sounds like that smell but unfortunately i am not a musician so i can not make that. turns out 20 years ago someone captured exactly what i was thinking of. this album is almost comforting in how constantly unpleasant it is. spectacular work, as of publishing this review I've listened to this album 4 times. top 5 lowest rated albums on the site? nooo, no no no.
it's not even that good but i love u liars
Never heard (of) them before, only two of Liars' members in Beck's Record Club cover of INXS' "Kick", as I've just found out. I'm glad I do now. Hear it. Easily the most I Listened To With Ongoing Interest And Curiosity the generator has given me in the past 12 days. Abrasive, nervous, but without the edgelord attitude of being intentionally annoying. Not to my ears, at least. Sometimes like if Portishead's "Third" and gritty, noisy Sonic Youth had a baby. This is cracking. Love the drums. I have a long evening walk scheduled today, looking forward to putting this on again. "Rating 2.06", lol, you people.
I'm glad 1001 albums recommended this, otherwise this would have never been on my radar. Never heard of this band or album until now but it is great. Experimental noise rock, driving beats, some catchy songs in there. Refreshing after having to hear so much Boomer crap. You can only take so much Eagles, Bad Company, Aerosmith tripe. "They Were Wrong, So we Drowned" is a fucking fresh breath of air.
Weird and unique, I really enjoyed this one. I get why not everyone would like it, but this sort of experimental stuff is right up my alley.
Yes, it's pretentious noisey bullshit. I'm pretentious and love noise. 5/5.
Hyped to get Liars! Bummed that this is their only album on this list. Either way, super fun, weird, creative, experimental album. Love their work!
Not for me
Huh. I was worried that this one would be a total torturous chore when I saw that it was noise rock. Got even more worried when I saw the average rating of 2.22 stars. But in the end I actually kind of enjoyed it. Yeah it's unhinged, avant-garde, noisy and haunting. It even feels quite tribal and definitely gives the atmosphere of a ritual sacrifice. The dance-punk element is there though, in enough measure to make this whole thing somewhat danceable. No doubt that it verges on aurally torturous at times, but maybe I'm just turning into a masochist? All I'm saying is if I'm in a situation where I'm about to be sacrificed, I'd ask for the murderous cult to put this on. It's approaching halloween so maybe I'm just in the mood for some spooky shit. Either way I enjoyed this and I think I could vibe with this again. Favourite: There's Always Room on the Broom
I absolutely loved the first two-thirds of this. Fuzzy, screechy, whiny against some totally danceable grooves. The last few tracks lost my interest but I was captivated by most of it. Yes!
Woah, based on the name and album art I did not expect such an experimental/dissonant sound. This is generally in my wheelhouse of musical pleasures so I'm down with it. Never knew the band so glad to broaden my knowledge. Crazy industrial-like drums with artsy vocal trappings, a combo I haven't heard much. Definitely propelled to a professional level with the production, which elevates it from indie-artsy-trappings to something a bit more grand. I'm into it, definitely gonna explore further. I should listen to listen to more noise-rock. Definitely not for everyone though.
in some sense it is just a tremendous disappointment. if they took the energy and momentum of the opening track and carried it through the album it'd be this super sick industrial / noise rock masterpiece. there's a bit of insubstantial noise fluff padding in the middle that was definitely more upsetting with my hopes all hyped up. finishes with a few strong tracks, enough to leave me pretty happy. favorite is Broken Witch. soft 4
omg är jag emo??
Another fun find from some dudes I never heard of. Pretty approachable 'noise rock' for a n00b. 3.5
scary album
The Liars’ debut ‘They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top’ (also a good record) ended with a locked groove loop on the CD release that lasts for over 20 minutes - it was the sound of a band staring you out, daring you to listen to the end, to tough out this relentless noise and find something there. I was 17 when it came out and was absolutely entranced by the idea. (There’s a similar device (but there for very different reasons) at the end of Wilco’s A Ghost is Born and it’s bloody great there, too. Music can be hard, it can be unpleasant, it can challenge in ways I think more people should embrace!) My point here is that I feel like the rest of their career, and especially this record, are the direct continuation of that ethos, challenging you to figure out what else is going on beyond an abrasive front. Yes, this record absolutely spits on your face the first time you hear it, but underneath is rhythm, melody, hooks, all that good stuff music can do. Swampy, messy, creepy, noisy but also at times so peaceful in an unsettling way, it took me a while to fully ‘get’ this LP, (and really only made complete sense after the follow-up ‘Drum’s Not Dead’ released) but I think it’s absolutely worth the effort. It’s just so much fun, I love all the ambience, the ritual circle feel of the drums, the closeness, the sound of a highway somewhere in the middle of the record that suggests you’ve escaped, only to get got again. Such a great record. Speaking of ‘Drum’s Not Dead’, the fact this record is on the list is even more bizarre because ‘Drum’s…’ isn’t, and I know I’m not alone in viewing that as by far the better record (which I would argue this is sort of the prototype for). ‘Drum’s…’ is an absolute masterpiece, one of my all-time favourites, and an album everyone should hear, even if this wasn’t your thing.
Perfekt U2 detox. Vet ikke om jeg blir å høre på denne igjen, men akkurat i dag så traff den.
Rate: 8/10.
Aldrig hørt om dem, super cool album!
So many albums on here are labeled “boring, boring, boring.” Then we get something challenging and different, and many run away with an ostrich-like prance. This album is currently the 6th lowest ranked of all of the albums in the project. I had never heard of it. But this a perfect example of why I’m doing this. Of course Rumours and Sgt. Pepper’s and Dark Side of the Moon are awesome and safe, and I'm going to give them their 5's, but I'm thrilled to go off the beaten path, too. And the reality is this wasn't all that weird or challenging of a listen.
BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD
This band came up around the time that we saw a bit of a post-punk revival and this material largely fits within that revival. Unlike some bands who were more interested in nostalgically exploring sounds from that period, Liars seem like they were more focused on building on the experimentalism of the period. This is a record that is more focused on using sound to create a sense of texture, beat and rhythm that creating melodies. The result is a series of sounds that could be fit within the tradition of motoric rhythms found in 'Krautrock' with noisy textures placed over it, mixing traditional rock instrumentation with electronic sounds. The tracks at time build into fairly hypnotic riffs that arise out of that interaction. The lyrics over that frequently reproduce that repetition and consist of vaguely menacing nonsense phrases with emotional effect. The effect gives the record a kind ritualistic or incantatory quality. It's really fantastic overall, I really love this record.
It was bound to happen. I really enjoy an album that is in the bottom 10 on the websites. You cowards would die if you had to dive into the mid 2010s free bandcamp trenches because you didn’t have money for iTunes. This rules
This is the kinda stuff I like to see, not a third Neil Hannon album of shitty lounge ballads
This was actually a very interesting listen! Second brand new discovery this week for which I am grateful. It’s not a genre that usually appeals to me, but I may come back to this one. 3.5 stars, not sure I can bring it up to 4 but may listen to it again later today to decide. On second thought these guys created something super original. 4 It is
Feeling confused that I hadn't heard this before because it's very much my thing and I love it! Well better 22 years late than never.
Loved this. Reminded me of a lot of Mike Patton stuff.
Enjoyable. Played twice through.
I like this album but I wish it had more dynamic range.
They had me at witches and blood
Weird but interesting. That's good. And it's much more unique then a lot of other stuff on the list. I liked the variety in this album
Why is it I really enjoy every experimental album that has an average rating of 2.
Boah, das hat mir schon ziemlich gut gefallen, auch wenn (oder vllt. weil) das dann doch recht speziell war. Witziges Konzept hinter dem Album auf alle Fälle. Also ich glaub ich werde mir das in Zukunft nochmal reinziehen, daher 4 Sterne.
I spent a lot of time in college listening to this band's first album but for some reason, I never picked this one up. It was gentler and more composed, and I really liked it a lot, especially the first few tracks.
brings me back to my late 20s when I was cool.
Why is this rated so low? Amazing sounds. Sad album. F! (Our)
Yeah the mixes are bad at times, but this is electric.
I bought this whilst on my travels in Vienna last summer, knowing that it was a feature of the 1001 and an album which had been sitting on my wishlist for some time. They Were Wrong... has received an absolute mauling on the 1001 Generator site, manifesting as one of the lowest rated albums, but I'm here to bat for it today as I really like it and feel that the wider criticism has been undue, seemingly on the basis of it being a more challenging listen than the usual indie / classic rock stuff which is lapped up on a regular basis. This is a thoroughly intriguing blend of dance punk, noise rock and experimental music. Some of the thumping, scatty percussion on here is a joy to track, whilst the album gives off an unsettling, kind of mechanical vibe. It regularly segues from wafting, tribal krautrock-esque passages into deliberately obtuse, slightly off-kilter rock rhythms infused with feedback and wildly miscalculated tones, which set out with the intention of overwhelming your senses. It's always a step or two away from being truly danceable when the synths and percussion come to the forefront; gurning, shrieking and rattling away into a cacophony of the best kind of "WTF". Frontman Angus Andrew exercises a similar unhingedness, where his duties align less with "singing", and more so with panicked yelping, off-key bellowing, or barely more melodious than spoken word vocals to elevate the album's uneasiness.
went to the youtube playlist and hit play then read the quick wiki and saw they're a 'noise' band so had a bit of apprehension i'm liking this a lot, way more than i thought i would kinda wonder if it would've landed differently if i had no expectations but it's too late for that i'll save the youtube link, i'm sure there will be a mood/time when this one will hit the spot
Nice and weird! I’m missing some explosive parts but otherwise it’s really great.
This was really interesting haven’t heard anything like it first and last track especially great 4/5
Abrasive sound and minimalistic approach focused on rhythm. I don't know when I will be in the right mood to listen to it again, but I'm glad that it exists as it is something different from all the pop/hiphop of this 1001 list. Favourite tracks: "Steam Rose from the Lifeless Cloak"; "There's Always Room on the Broom"; "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids"; "They Took 14 for the Rest of Our Lives".
i like discordant terrifying noise so i was way into this, sorry rest of the website's userbase lmao
First Listen; 4; This took a couple of listens to get into, but after I did, I really enjoyed it. The premise of the record is really interesting, and after reading about it, I definitely enjoyed the record more. Has a very primal, strange feeling. Very uneasy feeling listening to at times, but still is catchy in parts. Favorite Track: Hold Hands and It Will Happen
I think this must be the weirdest album given to me so far. I loved it. Both tribal and danceable, I loved the weirdness of the whole thing. I wonder what the rest of their discography sounds like…
Liars is another band I've only heard the name of and not much else. I didn't even remember what type of music they played and initially thought they might be some sort of aggressive punk band. It's not the kind of noise rock I was expecting, but it was a great listen. Lots of organic sounds, feels like some bits were recorded with random things like metal pipes and whatnot.
Surprised by how much I enjoy this, thought it would be too weird but for the most part not really, especially early on. I could even see it going up more with a few more listens if that happens. 7/10
Geen hele lange review vandaag (ik zou bijgod niet weten hoe) Gewoon een heel lekker indrustrieel album.
een album dat ik vooral associeer met 15 en depressief zijn, maar wat nog erg lekker klonk zonder dat ik zo edgy mogelijke muziek uitkoos.
Nice
Weird, wonderful and droney. Lots of influences here, ESG on the drums, lofi slacker singing of Pavement, drones from a different planet.
This fuzzed out, really interesting album has a lot of repeat listen appeal. It's not an album for everyone but this scratches an indie music itch that I always have. It was a 40 minute album that felt like 25. You gotta love that. I think I need more Liars albums in my life.
Electric, exciting, and very New York. I dig this, but do get why it has such a low score on the site and how people would find it challenging. I think it’s a great indication that music can be anything, and by disregarding any imposed rules or structure it can lead to a very freeing creating process.
Strano
Det va helt ok, men det va nok albumtittelen æ likte best, kanskje.
I love Liars, but I would recommend listening to "Drum's Not Dead" as an essential album over this. It is an interesting example of a complete left-turn for a band that was a part of the early 2000s NY-rock revival, but I think they went on to do better, more impactful things. You can start to hear the ideas that they would explore on Drum's Not Dead, most notably on "We Fenced Other Gardens...", but the album is more chaotic and disjointed. Still, I like the band and revisit this album every now and then.
I really enjoyed the experimental noise rock sound coupled with the loose concept album surrounding witchcraft and witch trials. A bit of fun and the soundscape was amazing through a headset! Best: Steam Rose from the Lifeless Cloak Worst: Flow My Tears, the Spider Said
Really interesting and varied sounds. I was never bored
De la musique bien... spéciale ? Mais bonne ! J’avais déjà écouté (et très beaucoup apprécié) un autre de leurs albums (Sisterworld, plus récent que celui-ci) et, malgré que c’est un peu plus expérimental, c’est une écoute très satisfaisante.
Pretty unique. Definitely enjoyed this.
Actually interesting music, unexpected from this site.
Noisy loud discordant triumph
Really enjoyed this in all its weird glory. Will listen again
Noise rock and a challenging listening that pays off for the expanded mind listener.
dat was terug een verrassing... het is geen Sonic Youth of Boredoms, maar het komt in de buurt...
Very interesting. Some cool rhythmic ambience mixed with some wild songs. Don’t think I got it all with one listen. Will have to revisit.
Good time. Not as noisy as I was expecting from "noise" rock :P
I am into noise rock and concept albums, so this was a great find for me personally. Listened to loud enough, it started already ringing in my ears and this is a great starting point ;) If you read about the origin story of the concept, it becomes clear that it is rather on the superficial side of concepts. But while being dense musically with the tribally driving drums, this gives the record a fun touch, which you can already tell from the track titles. Bonus points as I am living <200km away from the Brocken! Highlights: The album is consistent in its weirdness, but I liked the middle part with „We fenced other gardens with the bones of our own“ and „They don‘t want your corn, they want your kids“ the most!
Give me this over the Adeles of this world any day of the week. The last track is particularly cool.
A surprising noise record that leans into the sort of “sleaze-revival” of disco at the advent of the 21st century.
Too serious
I’m pretty deep into this list now, it’s time to start thinking about it in the big picture. When an album has an average over 4, it’s usually an Accepted Classic, which often means it’s slightly overrated, but will usually still be good. When the average hovers around 3, it’s usually going to be a boring album (which, in my opinion, should be a 2 at most). When the average is around 2? Baby that’s the good stuff. That’s the stuff that is too off the wall for anyone who gave a 5 to Dark Side Of The Moon. The most compelling albums on here are around 2 on average. Anyhow. This rocked. It’s so weird and kind of dumb. I was almost at a 5 but that last song is too Dark Carnival to me. Bands shouldn’t do that. Never comes off well.
Raw but full of energy and emotion.
Really cool unpredictable sound. I have a feeling that this band influenced the more modern band IDLES a lot. I definitely enjoyed this, I felt like I was able to both focus on some tracks and also just sit back and either groove or flow with the drone. Solid album that needs more listens!
I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this album. Usually super experimental noise rock stuff doesn't really do it for me but the energy on this album is undeniable. I can only imagine seeing this in a dark and dingy NYC basement bar would seriously blow your mind. Often this genre feels more like performance art than music but I feel like these guys have found the in between.
I mean, of course I’m going to love an album with a song titled “If Your a Wizard Then Why Do You Wear Glasses?“ (sic). This is great, weird, experimental stuff with tribal drums, songs about witches and witch trials, and references to the Brocken mountain legends. I’m pretty sure that this will polarise listeners, but I’ll take this over yet another hip hop or 70s yacht rock snooze fest any day.
Ah, that was refreshing. Noise/experimental rock, not boring a single second, exploring different direction, experimenting without losing (totally) the listener (some rhythms and melodies here and there that keep you afloat).
I liked how dark and mysterious this album is
After what I said about not demanding your attention, this album certainly did that. It wasnt all pretty but some parts I really enjoyed and it was a unique sound
I immediately liked the harsh and gritty sound of this album. The sounds are abrasive but it's simple rhythms hold together what initially sounds like chaos in quite a pleasing way. Listening to "There's Always More Space On The Broom" I found myself wishing the vocals were stronger, more forceful, and forward in the mix. I think this was the difference that made "We Fenced Other Gardens..." feel like a more complete and accessible track. By the end of the album I was already planning a repeat listen. It was an interesting and stimulating listen from start to finish and exactly the type of "weird shit but good" I was hoping for when I started this project.
Ruglað. Trúi ekki að þetta sé svona góð vinnuplata. Þetta er eitthvað sem ég bjóst aldrei við að fíla.
Gott stöff, Noise rock alltaf hressandi. Ekki heyrt um þessa hljómsveit áður.
Me ha parecido un sonido super interesante.
This was interesting, and overall a fun listen. It didn't quite make it to a 5 star album for me but it was close. Why do you all hate anything experimental so much?
Ok
Fun music. Good excuse to come back to it. Makes me want to cut off some jorts, hop on a fixie, and smoke some American spirits.
OK, from the beginning of the first track I really thought I'm going to hate this. But weirdly, from the second track on, this album grew on me in some strange ways (like the strange, disgusting beauty of some funky molds, perhaps). It's somewhere between noisy post-punk and dance-punk, which are both very weird (and not my favorite) styles to begin with. These guys do some aspects of both of these styles justice, for what that's worth. So what's the verdict? It's horrible, but also catchy. It's annoying, but it works. It sounds bad, but it feels good. First I wanted to give this a 2 for sounding bad, then a 3 for causing mixed feelings, but now a 4 for making me think deeply about music. And ultimately, that's what the 1001 albums project is about.
Dug considerably. Like a moth to a strange flame, my ears drift to expiremental punkish tuneage.
Liked it a lot upon first listen so worthy of another go
Yesterday, I had one of the highest rated albums on this list, with Pet Sounds, and today, I get one of the lowest rated albums. However, there have been a few low-rated albums on this list that I’ve enjoyed, like Kollaps and Junkyard. Others like Scum and Wonderful Rainbow have been more middle-of-the-road. I’m not terribly sure what to expect on this effort from Liars, but a little bit of noise rock never scared me! I enjoyed listening to this album, and I thought it had a unique sound that I found entertaining and fresh. I liked the overall lyrical concept, about witchcraft on The Brocken, and it sounded like Liars really allowed the concept to completely consume the album, and it worked really well. My favorite songs on the album tended to have a really strong, pulsing bass that I thought was fantastic. This album could have sounded like a jumbled mess, but the production gave it an atmosphere that I found really cool. For an album that I would describe as dissonant, it was still pretty accessible, and I think that’s due to how the sounds were layered in a way that somewhat resembled typical song structure. There was quite a bit of variation in the sound on this album as well, but everything still felt incredibly cohesive. As far as favorite songs from this are concerned, I really enjoyed "There's Always Room On The Broom,” "We Fenced Other Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own," and “They Don’t Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids” (good God, these song titles are a pain to write out). This isn’t the type of album that I’d probably come back to, but I still enjoyed listening to it, because it was fun to branch out and get weird for a bit.
Interesting exploratory techno in a genre started by Moog and Eno
Maybe only a strong 3, but want to reward stuff that gets my attention. The songs don't always come together, but when they do, I'm into the "LCD Soundsystem songs recreated by a post-apocolyptic cult" vibe. All clanks, creaks,pencil scratches and chanted lyrics.
Very interesting with a cool backstory. Not my normal jam but it on me
pretty cool, felt like a god introduction to experimental concept albums, very witchy
Très cool...........I have to admit, I was put off by the negative reviews, but I can confidently declare they are all wrong. I love how this barely melodic musical concoction sounds like a bunch of anxious guys banging scrap metal together at a construction site - it totally works somehow. I do have to say that my expectations were set a little too high from the banger of an opening track, Broken Witch, but the rest of the album was still enjoyable. In conclusion, noise is cool, give it a whirl
Went in with low expectations, but actually enjoyed it. 4/5
Not bad actually, something completely different.
Love some of their other stuff much more but this is good
That was pretty trippy. I am will be checking out their other work
Had never heard of these guys! Cool discovery that could maybe become welcomed into my normal rotation in the future.
I swear to God, the people on this site are an enigma. Y’all be like “Why does Neil Young get like a billion albums here” and “Oh my god, there’s so much white boy rock”. Then you get a weird unique album like this and rate the damn thing to near oblivion. Don’t you like actually want to like explore past your comfort zone because if not, why are you here? Ok for real, I get why people would dislike this. It’s weird and sometimes loud, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. But like, this wasn’t that bad. Not one of the lowest rated albums certainly. I actually liked this one. It certainly feels experimental, but like in a structured way. Through all the weird elements and loud guitar noises, there some strange, groovy bangers. Broken Witch is a great starting track, while There’s Always Room on the Broom transitions the sound into borderline creepy territory. Also, I love the ambient tracks like Steam Rose from the Lifeless Cloak and Read the Book That Wrote Itself, as well as the latter half of Flow My Tears The Spider Said. To be honest, I’m not even a quarter done with this project, but it’s weird that an album like this gets ravaged while there like a hundred forgettable albums on here that came and went for me. Honestly, it’s worse to have no impact than it is to make people squirm. Maybe I’m the kind of freak that enjoys shit like this, but that’s on me. Long story short, this was pretty good. You’re all just mean. Favorite track: Hold Hands And It Will Happen Anyway Other hits: Broken Witch, Steam Rose From The Lifeless Cloak, We Fenced Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own, Read The Book That Wrote Itself, Flow My Tears The Spider Said
Noiserock: Standaard een 1. Wazige geluiden: standaard een 1. Matige zang: standaard een 1. Algemene waardering: 4 Noiserock: Midden in de nacht geluisterd, dus op zacht volume. Wellicht ervaar je de herrie dan niet zo. Onverwachts komt de jongste beneden en begint hard op en neer te wippen op de muziek. Cachy noiserock dus. Of moet ik me zorgen gaan maken? Het is ook wel noiserock uit 2004, de grensen van een genre worden met de tijd wat opgerekt. Dit heeft zelfs een beat als basis. Wazige geluiden. Ok, eerlijk is eerlijk. De hoge piepjes irriteren me. Toch weten ze veel van het wazige geluid om te buigen naar muziek. Matige zang. De band waust soms wat over de muziek heen, soms is het meer schreuwen wat gemuzikaliseerd wordt. Algemene waardering. Dit album biedt een unieke beleving. En al worden veel a-muzikale ingrediënten bij elkaar gevoegd, er onstaat een muzikaal geheel. Zoals sommige mensen met alleen groenten best een eetbaar gerecht kunnen bereiden. Het is toch een prestatie. Het heeft zelfs iets pakkends. Dance-noise-rock. Of misschien noise-techno? Ik hoor soms ook wel iets van artiesten als Aphex Twin of T.Raumschmiere. Ga ik het nog eens luisteren? Denk het wel, sorry buren.
Very weird listen... I like it though.
This album's seemingly infamous on this site, it's one of the ones with the lowest scores, many of whom I enjoy lol. It's not gonna be the last time I will have to say it sucks that more people don't enjoy an album like this, but I do get it from the perspective of the average person and not someone like me who's a dedicated music listener whose favorite genres line up with this and many of the albums in the bottom rated. I think if anything the fact that albums like this get so rated so low is more indicative of how flawed the book is, while it is a fine resource for "expanding" your musical palette and getting you out of your comfort zone hypothetically, I think it can only go so far especially since the albums would be presented with only a small blurb describing their contents but not really much more about them or HOW to approach these albums, there's no real organization to how to approach some albums or genres besides the chronological style it's presented. I guess one can also argue that this site's challenge being random only makes the problem worse because you are just served an album daily with mostly zero context unless you look them up, maybe if you were going thru the book at your leisure you'd check off the music that interests you (made easier by online resources) it makes it an easier time, hell maybe the hypothetical copy of the book will be one without this album because it only lasted for one print of the book. Despite all that though, it still doesn't help the fact that you, hypothetical person who just gave 1 star to this album, have little contact with music like this prior and probably gave a bad impression of music that decides to go for something so rhythmic and sparce in a punk context instead of the typical melodies of your average rock album. So we are left with most people hating this than really coming away with something that's up their lane sadly. That's not to say the book or this site aren't a fun way to discover music, far from it, I think it's one very easy way to expand your horizons, but there's an obvious level to which this approach just winds up messing up how people find out about music that may or may not be too much for them. I could critique this all day but ultimately this is just an unique problem to the approach here, and plus there IS an album still which I've barely talked about: I had heard this album before when trying to check out Liars' discography which I never completed (laziness hit). This album is interesting as a 2nd album when you compare it to their debut which feels more in line with a lot of early 00s post-punk and dance punk, this one just hits an entirely different vibe, it's almost like they decided to have the barest essentials to making rhythmic and angular punk and made noise with the little they had; it makes for music that is so awkward and ominous on purpose and there's so much negative space yet I can't but enjoy the way this album feels so perfectly minimalistic and weird, especially when listening to Broken Witch and how it simply builds and builds all its elements into the weirdest punk thing to make me dance. The use of dinky synths to make noises which just can't help but make me curious as to what or where they are going with that like in "There's Always a Room on the Broom". It's experiments that you don't know where it will lead but you just have to meet it where its at, they become rewarding the more you dig into the little rhythms and noises do come together into songs that while not your usual idea of enjoyability it still manages to hit something in me, like an itch for music this absurd and weird that create this awkward atmosphere like I'm seeing these guys mess around in a basement that smells of cigarettes work out these songs for hours. If there's a flaw with this album is that I don't really care for the interludes going on much, they are fine, but they have little that interest me when the other songs have more going on and aren't just ambient interludes, I do think closing the album with something like that is effective as a sort of comedown. But yeah, is this album the best noise-weirdo-punk thing I've ever heard? Not really, but I do think it is very good and enjoyable for my tastes, in a way that I think deserves far more credit or at least chances from people, if not now maybe some other time, maybe after really experiencing more stuff like this. I don't think this sort of review sort of rant will convince anyone to reconsider all those weird albums they disliked but I do hope that at least the people who found this album interesting but are not quite at the point of full enjoyment can be encouraged to pursue more stuff like this, and who knows maybe coming back to it eventually to find it to be a favorite. Edit: I forgot to add this somewhere, but as a little addendum: if you didn't hate this but found it too minimal and would want more noise and dance, check their first album, it's very good and probably a lot more approachable sonically.
Tästä tykkää hän
I like this. I didn't necessarily pay much attention to the lyrics, instead I decided to focus on the instrumentals-- it was right up my alley. I had a good time.
These are the kinds of musical risks I enjoy. Not knock out great but it delivers a solid artistic musical statement the rides the edge of popular music while building something all its own. Engrossing at times.
Dark and intricate. Love the layering. Cool concept. Will return.
I really loved listening to this. The start is a bit rough, but after a while you really get immersed in the soundscaped and it becomes an almost transcendental experience. I love the haunting African rhythms and percussion here, gives the album a very ominous feeling. It's amazing just how groovy this album is with its minimalist approach and harsh noises, you can hear that Liars once made dance-punk. Really enjoyed this one and the low global rating on here isn't justified.
unique and interesting
Some songs were quite jarring, others pleasant
I don't think I got it.
This is pretty good, a little scary, but good music.
In 2004 I was going to Brooklyn clubs listening to music very much like this. I don't do that any more but I enjoyed this album a lot more than I had thought I would when I first opened it up. Weirdly melodic, creatively rhythmic, glad I gave it a listen.
Been a huge fan of Liars for years now. This isn't my favorite but it definitely laid the groundwork for the rest of their career. The tribal vibes and minimalist, dark beats are so effective at conveying a sinister vibe while still being groovy enough to make you bob your head.
7/10
Favorite Track: There’s Always Room On The Broom
There is something special about making a nightmare-ish album. Realistically a 2/5, but I dig this shit.
Albums I don't own: Kid A, London Calling, Harvest Albums I do own: They Were Wrong, So We Drowned Almost every album on this list has a decisive critical consensus, some of the ones that don't include this one & Kings of Leon's Only By the Night. What interests me is that both examples indicate a divide in critical opinion between the US and Europe. The 1001 book entry for Liars reads: "Although critics in the United States were not impressed by the album, European audiences embraced the nightmares." Similarly, the KoL Wikipedia article reads "A discrepancy between ratings of the North American and the UK press can be noted." The latter kinda makes me sad, I think it's a pretty great late aughts album. This album being more divisive makes a lot more sense. (I still don't understand why the critical divide would be split geographically though) The tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of "Broken Witch" sets the scene brilliantly for a horror-inspired rock album. The off-putting dissonance is weirdly kept in check by the danceable rhythms in "Room on the Broom" and "They Don't Want Your Corn". I feel like I've heard just enough no wave and gothic rock this year to give that balance some historical context. Twenty years before this album, Bauhaus was putting out some freaky dance tunes as well. How well they maintain that horror atmosphere through the whole album is up for debate. "Broken Witch" and "They Took 14" are proper, chaotic bookends, while the actual album closer, "Flow My Tears", unwinds into dark ambience and nature sounds- I suppose it works as a denouement while still staying relatively spoooky. "They Don't Want Your Corn", "Hold Hands" and "Room on the Broom" are more conventional but they sound far less like forest-bound pagans and much more like their noisy garage rock contemporaries. I want to single out that last one though, as iTunes lists it as my most played song on They Were Wrong (from today, but also April when I first listened to this). At about 15 seconds in, the most horrible distorted vocal starts, and repeats throughout the song. As far as anti-musical moments in albums, it ranks up there with the dog whistle at the end of Sgt. Pepper's. So WHY do I keep going back to that song >:0 WHY is it so catchy >:0 The editors were probably right to cull Liars from subsequent editions, but I find the list less interesting without them. Karen O: "Wait! They don't love you like I love you" the guy she's singing about: "I NO LONGER. WANT TO BE A MAN. I WANT. TO BE. A HORSE." HL: "Broken Witch", "There's Always Room on the Broom", "We Fenced Other Houses With the Bones of Our Own", "Read the Book That Wrote Itself", "Flow My Tears the Spider Said" December 14, 2024
Sort of a mixed bag, but overall pretty interesting. I tended to prefer the tracks with vocals. Favorite: “We Fenced Other Gardens…” 3-4
Very weird
I never heard this before. I like it. It's fascinating. Weird. Not really songs. It was over before I understood what the hell I was listening to. Favorite song: they don't want your corn, they want your kids.
This is noise but really good noise
This is #day89 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... something wicked this way comes, right? To me, Angus Andrew is one of those visionaries able to create the weirdest of shit and make you drown in it. The band took a turn in 2014 with the release of Mess, and what we're hearing here is more in line with their early work: raw, experimental, and post-punk-ish. It’s like The Doors filtered through the lens of Joy Division. A comparison is a bit off, but there’s certainly a haunting, ritualistic quality to this album (I've heard it's a concept record about witches). Is this a "must-listen before you die", though? It's a challenging listen, no doubt. But it's also an album that keeps you hooked. I get to believe that sometimes music is all about disruption and/or making you feel uneasy. And in that respect, They Were Wrong, So We Drowned absolutely succeeds. After reading the reviews, I'd even bump my score up a bit. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day90.
Another noise and chaotic album, revolving pretty closely to hardcore universe. Fortunately, that's what I actually like, so Liars is now on my list of bands that I will thoroughly listen to in the future. As of right now it's just a four, but I reckon after few more tries this will be a very strong five.
Of all Liars albums, why this one? At their most 00's pretentious here. Liars flippin rule though. Guy who wrote this book gets one cool point back. Bound to lose it again very soon via some mediocre British wank.
Well, this was surprising. I really dug this album. It reminded me of Death from Above 1979. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5
Had to listen multiple times to make sure I don't just like it because it's different Really the liked ZX Spectrum noises in There's Always Room on the Broom, vibed to the second half of Flow My Tears the Spider Said. And the sound in general was just pleasant to me
Cool
I completely missed Liars the first time around. I heard people talking about them constantly but I never took the time to check them out. I truly regret that. What a weird, fantastic album.
Fuck the system. You guys are a bunch of pussys who don't like anything "different". The amount of hate this album receives is unnecessary. Be real. It's not that bad. It's angsty. The lyrics are fun. It talks about witches. What more do you want? Is it the best thing I've listened to? No, but it's not hot garbage. If it didn't get such bad ratings, I would probably give it a 3, but just for the hell of it, I'm giving it a 4. Maybe that'll improve it's rating a tad.
Well this is shaping up to be some dark avant-garde shit. Broken Witch is formed around an amplifier buzz and breakbeat percussion. The song is way more enjoyable than that description should imply. Love the lugubrious underworld hip-hop vibe of We Fenced Other Gardens. They Don't Want Your Corn is a quick detour into dance-electro-pop similar in tone to some LCD Soundsystem and The Juan MacLean. Vocals feel like they are being delivered from someone sprawled out on a sofa in between hits of a cigarette. Read The Book That Wrote Itself reminds me of something horrorcore group Clipping would rap over -- deeply unsettling. This was eclectic and strange, but it kept my attention and I enjoyed more than I didn't. Soft 4 / 5.
I know most people hate this - but I was into it. Noise Post Punk just checks some boxes for me.
Okay yeah, don't remember how I discovered these guys, I think Sisterworld was the first I heard, and I LOVED IT, LOVE THIS TOO. noise, weirdo discordia, out of tune growling, bring it in heavy and hard, it makes me feel goooood
Ok, so here's the thing. This isn't "normal" music. This isn't bass, guitar, drums, vocals, 1-4-5, play rock blues until you die. This album represents thought, composition, direction. This album is a *choice*. I respect that.
Yay
This was a challenging, technical album that definitely took a lot of skill to pull off. It sounds very ahead of it's time: I hear some examples of sounds that would pop up later on Radiohead albums. I've gone back several times and have gone between a 2 and a 4. Given the aforementioned skill and some fun hooks that keep me coming back, this is a 3.5/5 -> 4/5
A polarizing album that garnered poor reviews from Spin and Rolling Stone. And perhaps for good reason! Liars is particularly skilled at maintaining space in their songs, only to go full-tilt minutes later. And my god is it weird. I don't know how to explain it, Liars is just skilled at staying outside of genre conventions. I would best compare them to This Heat, which I enjoyed thoroughly, so let's say I enjoyed this thoroughly.
I wasn't familiar with early Liars but it's amazing
I saw noise rock in the description and my heart sank, but a listen was a different story. This is much more post rock than noise rock with a sound that gives itself time and space to develope. More of a large abstract painting than a photo realistic scene but very much enjoyable.
Noise rock isn't my thing but this album is much more listenable than I was anticipating.
BEST SONGS: - Steam Rose from the Lifeless Cloak - We Fenced Other Gardens With the Bones of Our Own
Best wel goed, lekker als geheel album, en klinkt heel invloedrijk. Net aan 4 sterren
Experimental and funky and interesting, which is more than I can say for a lot of the white british shit on this list. Not always a great album, but better than average. 4/5
Weird, cool, clangy. Stretching the boundaries of what music can be, and yet clear and coherent of thought at the same time. Surprising and rewarding.
Surprised and thrilled that Liars are on this list. I would not expect that based on a lot of the stuff included on here. Not my favorite album from them (Drums Not Dead!!), but an excellent album, and a nice change of pace from the norm here with something challenging.
hullu mutta nerokas... aivan kahjo päästä mutta luovuus virtsaa ulos korvista... saksalaiset folk tarinat kerrottu tyylillä eksperimentaalinen tekno electronica kraftverkki saksanpaimenkoira musiikkilla... pähkähullut paskiaiset.. ei ollenkaan pretentious, kyllä, heillä on paljon musiikillista lahjaa.. neroja... eivät huonoja artisteja jotka tiedon ja taidon puutteen takia tekee eksperimentaalista randomia paskaa vaan NEROJA!!! ja lyriikat... absurd... heh... NEROKKAITA.... konseptuaalisuus unohtunut ehkä muutamilta, mutta ei näiltä, ei näiltä mussukoilta... we fenced
Interesting but jarring snd abrasive, not an easy listen (not really one to sing along to), but there's wit and fun concealed within and I liked it. Drown me if you like but different isn't bad.
Maybe it's because I'm getting to the end of this challenge but this was great. It wasn't another endless boring 90s Britpop that all sound the same. It was trying sound different and it did and I loved it for that. I wouldn't reach for it to listen to all the time, but when I want something different I'll go to this. The song titles are also wild which I love.
I feel like such a contrarian, but it’s nice to listen to an album that sounds like nothing else I’ve heard before.
pretty great actually. really interesting shit going on here
this one was awesome. of course it got removed
This is definitely not the kind of music I listen to, but it was so unique and very well done for the genre it is. There is a lot of tension and humanity in this album in the weirdest way possible, so I can appreciate the art
An absolute trip. Not my type of music at all but it was so fun to listen to and figure out. For the type of music it was intended to be, it was very well done. Extremely unique and interesting, although it tended to kinda be earrape a lot of the way through. A lot of the drumlines were really cool, and many of tue musical elements meshed well despite the grungy instrumentation. 4/5 because i love how insane and cool it is. I also love that it tells a story of forest witches at a witch party
What a strange listen! Usually, noise rock tends to have no soul, but this was a welcome exception.
yeahhhhhhhhhhhh
Pleasant surprise!
Not sure if I enjoyed it, but very interesting in a good way! 4*
This is dope, I'm familiar with Mess, a later one of there albums, this one is a bit more rough and organic.
Pretty good sound. It grew on me
I enjoyed the horse song and I liked that it was only 40 minutes long, overall quite fun
Something interesting about this one. It is different, but I like it. 3.75
I no longer want to be a man, I want to be a horse. I get it dude, I get it. Yea, some may write this off as noisy nonsense but not this fucking guy, I eat this shit up. Yea, you may not toss it on for a party but there’s something really interesting about the sludgy industrial songs they’re putting out here. Pulling from the past with their own indie dance post punk sound to it. I’m not gonna claim that I fully get it but confusion can be fun. 4 stars
Krass. Herausfordernd. Künstlerisch bewertet sehr cool. Aber schwer zu hören …
Raw, sharp, and intriguing, this album showcases a possible scenario for punk rebellion. It features interesting songs with peculiar production that will keep you wondering what's next. I did not have "Liars" under my radar. Thanks for the recommendation. It's a nice addition to my playlist.
I must be in a weird mood, cause I actually enjoyed this.
This felt familiar, and I was surprised that I hadn't heard this band before. Enjoyed it.
Really solid album. I love the dark atmosphere these guys created through much of the album. I love the noisier elements and the variety of genres included on this record. Don't really have a lot to say about it other than the vocals can be a little one note but it does fit the over all aesthetic of the album
My initial thought during the first track was 'oh no, not sure I can manage this today', but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. Quite weird and reminded me of some Flying Lotus, Melt Banana and even Radiohead in places. This is sort of thing that can sound fantastic when you are in the mood for it or horrendous when you're not.
Interesting - a bit of a psychedelic indie thing going on. The production is gorgeous and the mood eerie and dark-ish with a little mischief. I am not sure it's a record I am foreseeing I'd return to frequently, but I think this merits more than a couple of listens to really get to the meat of it. Also - it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album and was skeptical after the first couple of songs, but the album did grow on me a bit. It is certainly not for everyone as it has a highly conceptual story line and is essentially a noise rock album. I enjoyed the various textures especially the rumbly synth sounds which were about a decade ahead of their widespread use in rock.
Not a noisy as the reviews led me to believe and no way this deserves to be in the bottom 10. It’s surprisingly groovy in places and has a really cool industrial vibe that is somewhat reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. Would much rather listen to this again than a lot of the boring one hit wonder 50s and 80s trash on this list
A really weird one but I quite liked it
I enjoyed it and appreciated it for what it is but I dont know that I’ll listen to it again
different and unusual. i liked it a lot.
And so we drowned. A pool of boiling faeces submerged us. What a way to go. I feel like it wasn't yet my time. I'm not an old man, not a bad man. Why must it all end here, drowning in a lake of shit, surrounded by some of the most vile individuals I've ever met? Did I deserve this? I'm Nigel Spackman, a fabled legend with an enormous cock and taste for GILFs. I can't die here in this rotten plug hole with Bort and Jai.
Never expected this little craziness und this list. At first unhearable. Then dragging your interest limb by limb into this eerie cave where you cannot escape from. It was an album I didn‘t listen as much as it made an sustainable impact on my musical education. 3.8
I quite enjoyed this. A new band - and album - on me. Inventive, dark and a little strange. Not sure it will be on heavy rotation, but worth another listen, and the experimentation, with hints of The Fall, Sonic Youth, This Heat and lots of other stuff I love, made a change from another hoary rock 'classic'. Not that keen on the cover, or title, though.
museum of modern art-core
4.25
Cacophonous but pretty goood
The no wave brain tickles are most recognizable and appreciated, but there's plenty of push and pull happening as well. Semi-distinct is what I can only describe as fingers moving. If their decay is a kind of dance, dance is evoked here. Given the timbre, one has to add toes to those fingers; Adjust appetite accordingly.
Nice album, had to listen to it a few times
Liars are great!
Brilliant! Totally outside-the-box, no two songs sound the same. The kind of thing I'm here for
I was living in Brooklyn during the 00s and had fallen in love with the Liars from the start with "They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top". Honestly when "They Were Wrong, So We Drowned" came out I was befuddled and felt a little betrayed and yet...after some time passed...was intrigued. It's easier for me now to see how they got from there to here and through on to other musical territory.
I liked it. I thought Liars were just another of those meh NME bands from the early 00s, but this is a noisy, weird and darlky fun record!
I had no idea what to expect going into this one. And I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I could see listening to this one again. Maybe not soon, but sometime in the future.
Someone from the early 2000s that I haven't heard of - this is either going to be awful or obscure. And boy is it obscure. It's noise. It's also good.
This is so great. Love the tracks Broken Witch, There's Always Room on the Broom, Hold Hand and It Will Happen Anyway as well as They Took 14 for the Rest or Our Lives. I look forward to spending more time with this band.
Occult noise rock? Ritual dance punk? I'm down! I think I've listened to most of Liars' output once or twice previously, but I could definitely do with spending more time with them. I like their schtick. Fave track - "There's Always Room on the Broom"
Way outside my comfort zone. I kinda liked it though? Terrible dinner music and I liked the album theme.
I'm usually not one for experimental rock, but this album was a blast. Definitely worth the experience.
Very cool album! I think their debut is their best, but as an evolution of those musical ideas and simultaneously a complete left turn this holds it’s own. I like the repetitive choruses used here and there, they’re catchy
Det här var koolt! Gillade inte sångaren jättemykke men musiken var unik, groovy, nasty. Intressant att höra på fast ja int vet hur ofta jag kommer återvända. Skulle ske oftare om det inte fanns sång tror jag
Duurde even om met het genre vertrouwd te raken, maar daarna vond ik dit wel een goeie plaat
Can't say I understand why this is on the list, but I am glad I listened to it. The arrangements and instrumentation are challenging, yet I found my head bobbing along to most of them. Feels like a scary campfire story in musical form.
It's okay, but perhaps a bit too experimental sounding for me. For me it's definitely background music and not a primary listen.
It's fun to listen to this outside, with a tree-trimmer in the back and planes going overhead. There's nothing wrong with ambient noise, but now I think I'll listen to some Pere Ubu for noise with a tune.
Really enjoyed! I bet YHWH Nailgun were influenced by Liars
It was interesting, but it's not something that I'm going to listen to again. I like noise rock, but noise rock doesn't have to lack direction. I think that's the issue with this, it just feels a bit pointless.
Need to revisit further to work this one out….
I liked a lot of the music on this album but the lyrics often spoiled it a bit for me. The first song in particular has terrible lyrics which really got the album off on the wrong foot.
The kind of album you have to firstly know what to expect and secondly be in the right mood to listen to. It’s completely jarring, mad, messy, primitive rock and I liked it.
Sløy noiserock. Fint når det funker, irriterende når det ikke funker.
This is actively making me anxious... Okay after the first song I get the vibe, spooky ooky and full of fun. Not something I'd return to, but I don't regret my time listening to it
Hørte ret meget Liars i gym men havde af en eller anden grund aldrig hørt den her før. Fed! Virkelig dystert!
Original Rasmuscore. Not exactly my jam.
very experimental and an entry to a new genre
Yet another of countless examples of 1001albumsgenerator users not being able to handle anything that isn't 1960s soft rock. This album is by no means a masterpiece, but I thought it was decent. But all the 1 star reviews are making it out to be some insane behemoth of random loud noises, when in reality it's just a pretty tame noise rock album. It's far from the best the genre has to offer, but I'm *almost* tempted to give it a higher score just out of spite for the 37% of you who gave it a 1/5, pussies.
Ok - couldn’t quite get into it, but not bad some decent stuff on there
Vrais musiques d’analog horror fnaf, ultra artistique et électronique par moment. Vibe de projet d’art de fac.
2,5
Super stoked about this one. I guess it's supposed to be all about witches and witchcraft and Walpurgis Night.
6/10
2,6/5
Um, OK.
With the description of this as “noise rock” I wasn’t hopeful, but I liked a fair amount of this — weird stuff but a nice vibe.
Honestly I think this is pretty good. This is a divisive album, but that’s kind of the point. I found myself grooving with the rhythm in the dark atmospheres. If you’re asking “why do I need to hear this before I die?” I think the answer is so that you can see if you like this kind of thing. I didn’t love it, it did get a little boring after a while.
I didn’t mind this, it was quite listenable, but it didn’t grab me and say this needs to be in your library
meio doido, mas bom? não sei muito o que dizer para além disso
What i expected. Did not really like but did not really dislike. It falls into the catagory of glad I listen to but probably would not do again.
Real noisy, messy post punk. I dig it, but not something I want to listen to a lot. I had some friends once who were really in Liars, and also really into taking benzos. I get it. Some of their later stuff is more accessible, this one is pretty sparse and angular. Gonna go 3/5.
An energetic and well thought out selection of songs that explore the sonic universe
Pretty abrasive and spooky but it frequently finds itself in a groove and is quite good fun when it does so.
the first half of the album it kinda be boring, but the second part is just... chef kiss 🤌🏼
More interesting than I expected, less interesting than it could have been.
There was some pretty cool atmosphere on some of these tracks, but a lot of it was just noise rock which I'm usually not a huge fan of and while this was milder than a lot of what I've heard before it still holds true Standouts Broken Witch Read The Book That Wrote Itself 3/5
Good and weird, sloppy, and still uniform, fuzzy and still clear. Accessible and still tough to grasp.
Better than expected.
interessant und probably deep
I like Liars a lot, but wouldn't recommend this album to the uninitiated. The later, more "musical" albums are more accessible while still being unique and compelling.
Weird music
I enjoyed this, which I wasn't expecting from the 'Noise Rock' label. Reminded me of Sonic Youth in many ways. I'd rather listen to this than Captain Beefheart or yet another Brian Eno record.
Let's deal with the first and most pressing issue. I absolutely love the title of this and of all the songs. They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids is (a) my fave on this album, and also one of the most interesting song titles I've seen in a long time. Right, onto the music, and I'm afraid it's more of a mixed bag here. It's interesting, I'll give it that, and sometimes it's really cool and fun and there's loads going on in a good way. Other times it's a total hot mess and I'd like it to stop immediately. Ultimately, it's one of those albums that'll score a three, but the journey to get you there takes in all the elements of ones and fives in equal measures.
It got better
When this began, I thought I was going to hate it, but around There's Always Room on the Broom, I started to get on Liars' wavelength. Congrats 1001 Albums Generator, you've turned me from a noise-rock avoider to a noise-rock agnostic.
6.5 / 10
I liked it. Didnt love it.
I was ready to give this 2 stars but it slowly redeemed itself as it went on. Overall it’s not bad.
One of my dad’s favorites
I don't know man. Credit for creativity, experimenting etc., cool theme. So will go for a slightly generous 3 on that basis. It sure is tough to actually listen to though. I can't say I particularly enjoyed the experience, I'm also not sure I was supposed to...?
I have had a bias against Liars since seeing them open for Interpol in 2007 and finding them pretty miserable. This record though is really experimental and interesting, so I should probably give them another shot.
freaky lil band i like it
I've never heard anything quite like this, so I don't have much to go off in terms of how to rate it or compare it to other works in its genre. The sound design alternated between being an atmospheric touch and a main musical element, and I personally preferred when it was atmospheric. Nothing was bad per say, but nothing grabbed my attention in an emotional way.
Some interesting musical choices but largely ineffective and unattractive. Could see myself liking this more on future listens, though.
Chaos doom incantations. Their best work yet to come.
You know, I saw "noise rock" and assumed I would hate this. And I didn't hate it! I didn't LIKE it, but I didn't hate it.
An interesting soundscape album. Possibly one that I’d appreciate with additional listens, but it serves as interesting, sometimes abrasive music that is challenging at times.
Enjoyed the experimental feel of this one, though while listening I was reminded of other abrasive experimental acts I've listened to in the past. They tend to grow old quickly. So, while I liked it once, I most likely wouldn't give it more listens.
Not really my bag. I have some appreciation for it, but I'm dealing with back pain, and I think this album may have actually made it worse.
Interesting songs, a few too noisy but much easier to listen to thank some other garbage songs on this list
Okay even I'm surprised by how much I liked this?? Something about the emptiness and the base really did something right.
You're* -1 Word garbage -1 Unique +1 This could have serious potential if the lyrics had meaning.
Not what I expected. It was fine, I'd have to be in the right mood.
This was quite strange but it grew on me as it went on
3 out of 5. Liked this more than I first thought, the noise just works here.
Droney but somewhat ideal to listen to on a Monday at work. Would I listen to it frequently? No. Would I put this on over Beyonce or Taylor Swift? Yes.
Wasn’t as interesting as I’d hoped, sort of a watered down suicide.
I didn’t hate it!
Ça a le mérite d'être expérimental !
Buen album conceptual, mala música
205/1089 I can’t say that this is a style of music i have much experience with/care for generally, but it was a good listen and a good example of why i’m doing this project. I liked the more percussive and ambient turn it took towards the end. faves: We Fenced Other Gardens…, Hold Hands…, Flow My Tears… 56/100
weeeeirrrrrrdddddd
Eh
Noise rock, but I dig the occult references that this album is built around. Check it out.
Didnt listen idk.
interesting
Here I thought, oh well, another below average indie rock album from a band I've never heard before, but I couldn't have been more wrong on this one. Some kind of noisy experimental indie-ish record. On some tracks, experimental use of percussion even reminds me of Tom Waits, definitely at least 3 stars, 3.5 on RYM and must REVISIT.
For a genre I don't appreciate, this album kept my interest and I want to explore more of their music.
Pretty effective but not something I have much interest in experiencing again. Steam Rose/Fenced best ones on here
When I listen to music, I generally throw it on to groove. Something to dance to, something to match the mood, enhance whatever I've got going on in life. This album achieves the exact opposite. It is a vibe killer. It attacks your psyche. It increases your cortisol levels. Is it fair for me to observe that and bash it solely on that paradigm? Would I cruelly rate a horror movie because it physically feels worse to watch than watching Finding Nemo? What this album seeks to accomplish, I find it achieves. It feels like you're uncomfortably observing a witch's ritual in the forest, a twig just snapped, and the light fades as the eyes turn your direction. I'll never listen again, but this scores "best noise album" I've listened to.
I couldn‘t listen to the whole album on Spotify but only to the first four tracks. It‘s not an album I would choose to listen to on my own but I didn‘t mind it. The sound is interesting and intriguing.
Pretty interesting, not something I'll vome back to much but I like the concept. Also, "If You're A Wizard Then Why Do You Wear Glasses" is a hilarious song title.
They were wrong, so we drowned is quite unique. The Wikipedia article puts it in the genre of noise rock, experimental, and dance punk. I liked it and had fun listening to it. Dance punk and noise rock seems appropriate for the genre.
This was such a weird album. At first I kind of hated it. Towards the end it mellowed out and it felt like they hit their stride a bit
This was a rhythmic assault on the ears, and not in a bad way. In a weird way this was refreshing after so many mid-poor 60s/70s rock pop albums. Quite the contrast, there was a lot of dissonance and noise on here, but throughout it was all kept steady by interesting percussion (IE the random water glass tapping on 'They Dont Want Your Corn' had me bopping my head. In a world of perfectly composed songs with clean lyrics and melodic rythyms, the Liars come in with middle fingers up. Making an album inspired by witchcraft on some mountain in Germany, adding to it all, this was recorded in a cabin in the woods somewhere in New Jersey, creepy... Not something I would return to listen to, other than the song I mentioned above, it was a bit more melodic and a bit less grating than the other songs. The other songs were a bit much for an actual everyday listen. But I really kinda respect how out there this one was. I understand how a lot of people would HATE this. But I think it requires 1: certain mood, 2: some openness to the inventiveness that this took on, and 3: and a bit of patience for some of the more jarring moments, (BLOOOD BLOOOD BLOOD). Had I listened to this before I started this project, I doubt I would have the same feelings, and I would probably smack this with a 1. However even only 150 albums deep, I feel as though my eyes have been opened a bit more, and I have learnt to appreciate noise, and creative endeavors when it comes to generating said noise, and then composing said noise into an album. 6.5/10
It's an atmospheric, moody record that tries to stretch the boundaries but somehow misses the board entirely. It's not really good but experimental and later records (Smile is a good example) seem to take the same concept and apply it better
Liars is a group that's admittedly hard to categorize here. Sure, they could simply be considered an experimental rock group fronted by founding member Angus Andrew, and they've flirted with elements of noise rock and dance-punk. But their sound tends to evolve with each subsequent record. For example, with this album, they dropped any semblance of the post-punk revival styling they employed with their debut in favor of something a lot more obtuse. This feels less like a collection of songs and more like a series of incantations, where the rhythm section is largely handled by the repetitive clanging percussion, with splashes of distorted guitar noodling, warped synths, and full-on fuzzed-out noise. All the while, Angus and his backing vocalists draw from tales of witch trials past to conjure occultist-like imagery, almost as if they had called their coven to act in retribution for prior transgressions. This album is discordant, unsettling, and minimal in its stuttering grooves. There's almost a primal nature in this sonic deconstruction that I found weirdly palpable to me, in a way that Einstürzende Neubauten's Kollaps was earlier in my album journey. Though much like how I felt with Kollaps, my enjoyment of this record waned after the initial shock subsided. I wasn't much into the two short instrumental pieces, "Steam Rose from the Lifeless Cloak" and "Read the Book Wrote Itself". Aside from a few notable moments, such as the chants of "blood" in the opening "Broken Witch" and the post-punk-adjacent guitar play on "Hold Hands and It Will Happen Anyway", the whole experience of this record ended up in one ear and out of the other. Not exactly bad to my taste, but not much in the way of memorable either. They Were Wrong, So We Drowned was certainly a notable entry in the 1001 Albums series, albeit a short-lived one, as it would be removed in later editions of the book. I don't know if my experience with this record was fully representative of what Liars is capable of; perhaps a different album would have helped me better understand this group. Regardless, I certainly didn't mind what I listened to, even if I don't have as much incentive to revisit.
Somewhat interesting experimental music. Didn’t feel like the concept really survived throughout it.
Bit noisy
Soms wel een beetje edgy om edgy te doen, maar ik denk wel dat albums zoals deze iets nieuws brengen. Zo veel liefde naar niet conventioneel zijn. Het is wel weer zo dat de muziek klinkt alsof het in een vacuüm is opgenomen, maar dan i.p.v. een doos is het een nare tunnel waar je liever niet doorheen wil lopen. Zal ik dit ooit nog een keer opzetten? Nee! Maar ik apprecieer de niet conventionele manieren van muziekmaken en vind dat dat veel meer moet gebeuren!
Tricky one. Not sure I like it. But I appreciate it for stretching the idea of popular music as far as I can imagine before it becomes completely unlistenable. An unusually generous 3*.
Noisy and jarring, but if you relax into it the album starts to carry you along just fine. I’m not gonna just throw this on again for fun anytime soon, but when I sat back and let it do its thing it was a cool experience.
Love theme and the consistency. This is something I might listen to once a decade
It's weird, but I didn't hate it.
Wanted to be The Residents, but didn't quite make it. Pleasant surprise that something like this is on the list. Still better than Neil Young's 79 albums.
Speaking of Radiohead, I booed this band when they opened for them in 2007 and will forever regret that childish stupidity. To be fair, they were too weird even for a Radiohead audience and many others were booing.
Kind of cool, definitely erxperimental and scoundscape-y noise. At times this isn't very musical but I was always intrigued by what I could hear. Spooky is another word that comes to mind - slightly unsettling, but in an enjoyable way. Certainly more worth listening to than more Britpop or country signers from the 70s. However, these song titles are definitely from the Godspeed You! Black Emperor school of song naming.
Very interesting post-rock album that has some things going for it, even if it's a little out there. A lot of the garbled noise and percussion don't 100% land for me, but there is a strange quality that kept me interested. Which is more than I can say for a lot of the more derivative albums in this project. Top tracks: Broken Witch, We Fenced Other Gardens with the Bones of Our Own, Flow My Tears The Spider Said
Interesting
I like it, interesting stuff. And it holds up well over time.
Interesting, but I need to listen to this when I'm not stressing about complicated drug pricing policy.
Post post-punk noise Rock. More of a freeform
Sonically impressive and artistic given it's pink roots. However the concept is a bit too spooky for my liking.
It's a tough one to come into cold at 10.15am on a Thursday
So hipster even Pitchfork hated it! Weird experimental underground noise art made cohesive by a loose concept. Has an "outsider art" feel. Highly unusual and not for those who find comfort in familiarity. Very goth, had a folk-metal attitude but a much different musical framework.
Actually didn’t hate it. Not bad. Listenable
I'm intrigued. Has 4* potential.
Let's be honest: this is noise, but it's good noise. There's definitely musicality in it, and I can respect that a lot. The titles for the songs are quite nice. Will I listen to it again? I don't think so. But I cannot in all honesty say I didn't enjoy myself at least a little bit. "Flow My Tears The Spider Said" is pretty solid. 2.5 stars, rounding up.