Yesterday's tweener punk acts are jumping ship on a sound that has, well, sank. Or, at least, will sometime soon. TRL will move on. My Chemical Romance eyed the conceptual with The Black Parade. Fall Out Boy transformed into this generation's Blink 182. And Lies for the Liars finds the Used dropping the curtain on a near-dead screamo clatter. Opener "The Ripper" flirts with tanker-truck heavy chops while the single "The Bird and The Worm" toys with Poe lyrically while maintaining an equally peculiar sound. The Used open the blinds on "With Me Tonight," a jovial, danceable tune complete with a brass section. That's right, a brass section.
Don't, however, think that Lies for the Liars is a complete departure for the band. The songs "Earthquake," "Hospital" and "Find A Way" are the undemanding, sugary sounds typical from the band's previous work. In the realm of bubblegum boy bands with neck tats, the Used stay incendiary and Lies for the Liars sees the band rising above their peers.
Dustin Walsh writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected].
