MUSIC: ‘Sisterworld' by Liars
With Los Angeles-via-Berlin-via-Brooklyn trio Liars, the only musical constant is change. And "Sisterworld," their fifth LP, marks yet another glorious reinvention of their sound.
On "Sisterworld," Liars have synthesized their avant and indie rock tendencies into some of their most compelling, angst-infused songs yet. Opener "Scissor" juxtaposes oboe and violin with post-hardcore guitar freakouts; "Scarecrows on a Killer Slant" features the stream-of-consciousness wordplay that made "Drum" so compelling set atop haunting, Joy Division-esque guitar squeals; and "Proud Evolution" is a twitchy meditation in stomach-churning minimalism.
The band's detractors have often whined about Liars' use of conceptual theatrics to mask their lack of instrumental chops, but on "Sisterworld" it's become quite obvious that Liars are more than just a drug-addled art troupe; it's their most confident, sprawling and menacing record yet, and it's also possibly their best to date.
"Sisterworld" is out now via Mute Records.
BOOK: ‘The Untold War: Inside the Hearts, Minds, and Souls of Our Soldiers' by Nancy Sherman
"Will God still appreciate me if I have to pull the trigger on another human being?"
When Georgetown philosophy professor Nancy Sherman spoke to The Spectator in May of 2009, she said that question formed the backbone of her forthcoming book, "The Untold War."
Sherman's book deals with "the inner war" soldiers endure while serving their country during wartime. Sherman has written on Aristotle, just war theory and other topics in moral philosophy, but she also has a master's degree in psychoanalysis, and "The Untold War" reads as a synthesis of her academic specialties. The book reads partially as a biography of the soldiers Sherman interviewed while researching the subject of soldiers' guilt, and partially as a sprawling philosophical treatise on the nature of personal morality during wartime. Granted, the narrative and philosophical threads of the piece keep the book constantly at odds with itself, but if nothing else, "The Untold War" offers a fresh perspective on a too-often overlooked aspect of wartime: the emotions of soldiers caught in the midst of battle.
FILM: ‘The Exploding Girl'
Q: What do you get when you cross a nontraditional love story with a title adapted from a hard-to-find The Cure B-side?
A: An indie rom-com.
But "The Exploding Girl" is more than just a meditation in hipster obscurantism. It's the story of Ivy (Zoe Kazan), a young epileptic woman on summer vacation from college caught in a maelstrom of feelings while trying to juggle a newborn relationship and a longtime attraction to an old male friend.
The last time epilepsy was matched up with an indie soundtrack, the world got "Garden State," but "The Exploding Girl" seems poised to one-up that beloved, now cliché flick thanks to its understated acting, its general ambivalence and its hyper-relatable premise: don't all things romantic always seem to go wrong during the summer? Let's just hope poor Ivy doesn't explode at the film's climax.
"The Exploding Girl" opens in theaters Friday.
Matthew may be reached at copy@su-spectator.com
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