Liars - The Sisterworld

I don't often watch music videos, even those of my favorite artists, so the fact that I was somehow drawn to watch the video for the Liars' "Scissor" on Pitchfork was a bit unusual in itself... If you have not seen it, you really should check it out. The filming is great and, although the story the video paints is quite disturbing, it is incredibly well-executed and, in my opinion, manages to paint a raw, but hauntingly accurate portrait of what it means to be human.

You can form your own opinion by watching the music video yourself:
"Scissor" - the Liars

"Scissor", which is off the Liars' new album, Sisterworld, due out March 5, but currently available to listen for free on the band's myspace page, encapsulates all of the elements of the new album. On a first listen-through, I was immediately captivated by the sinister elements of many of the songs. In fact, I do not think I have heard anything quite this disturbing and intriguing from the music world in a long, long time. (Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf comes to mind, but I think the Liars have introduced some more subtle, psychological elements to Sisterworld than Queens of the Stone Age does in Songs for the Deaf.)

Using the word "disturbing" to describe the songs on this album, as well as the "Scissor" music video, however, feels quite inaccurate, because they are not overtly abrasive or scary. ("Melancholy" is perhaps the most appropriate descriptor.) Somehow, in Sisterworld, the Liars have managed to tap into the dark cavernous pits of humanity, the parts that all of us know exist, but are often afraid to explore lest our inhumanity be unleashed, which is what makes listening to the album feel incredibly intriguing and yet disturbing at the same time. Through its haunting lyrics and dark, primal musical undertones, the Liars manage to captivate the listener to such an extent that he is left no choice but to listen and explore the deepest, darkest caverns of humanity, in both awe and trepidation.

Standout songs of the album: "Scissor", "Proud Evolution", and "Drop Dead".