Liars have always been a bit inexplicable. Their debut EP and CD, Fins to Make Us More Fish Like, were electroclash classics, with singer Angus Andrew shouting wacked-out lyrics to the tune of crazy dance music. Then they had to get all artsy-fartsy with their sophomore album, They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, a concept record about witches that earned them critical praise but lost them fans. Luckily, their latest CD, Drum's Not Dead, straddles the line of cool and "what the?" perfectly. The shimmering guitars in "Be Quiet Mt. Heart Attack" swells with a My- Bloody-Valentine-as-noise-trio sonic landscape. The boys bring back the booty-shaking when yowls open the tribal thump of "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack," a beat and theme that pervades much of the album. Are you seeing a theme in track titles? That's because this is another concept album involving two characters, Drum and Mt. Heart Attack. Ach, artists! " Kara Luger
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Thursday
A City by the Light Divided
Island
It seems as the emo/hardcore bands mature, the "grrr" sound gives way to an increased focus around melodic moments. Take Thursday's latest album, A City by the Light Divided, and especially lead single "Counting 5-4-3-2-1." The infectious song sounds like something Jimmy Eat World would have concocted in a Killers-sound-alike contest. Still, the song is a keeper, as is the entire 11-track album, which is Thursday's sophomore major-label release. For fans of the now- defunct Sparta, this is the album for you, with anthems capturing an exciting experimental side that keeps you hanging on for every unexpected twist and cathartic turn. Whether Thursday's angsty core audience will accept this digression remains to be seen, but the truth is, Thursday have proven their worth with A City by the Light Divided, arguably one of the year's best albums so far. John Benson
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Various Artists
Strummin' with the Devil
CMH
How bad is Strummin' with the Devil? Not only do you lose all respect, again, for David Lee Roth, who contributes his down-home-style vocals on two tracks, but bluegrass music in general takes a major hit. Whatever credibility was built up from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? buzz from years ago is completely gone, as this 14-track monstrosity successfully mirrors the embarrassment that currently makes up the Van Halen camp. Novelty lovers will get a hoot out of the bluesy "I'll Wait," but any fun soon turns annoying once the obligatory fiddle kicks in for Eddie Van Halen's solo. What's next, "Reggae with the Devil," or "And the Polka Will Rock"? God help us, and God punish David Lee Roth for leaving Van Halen in the first place. John Benson
