Review Summary: The Used's most mature effort yields some of the band's best material, but isn't without it's flaws.
For all their critical acclaim and mainstream popularity, The Used have got it rough. Since their inception they’ve been part of a scene that has garnered a great deal of criticism. Even within this scene, it seems The Used has always been just under the radar; shadowed from true acceptance by the ever looming shadow of bands like My Chemical Romance. It seemed that what The Used lacked, more than anything, is confidence. Despite all their talent, the band seemed to be afraid of taking risks or growing up. It was obvious upon the release of their sophomore effort, In Love and Death, that the band was playing it safe. Everything that had made the band stand out previously seemed to matter less, and The Used began to blend into the scene they once conquered.
Fortunately, Lies for the Liars unlike anything the band has attempted before. Finally, The Used have taken risks; some of which have paid off, and others that leave the band falling flat on their face.
The album’s first track sums up the album as a whole pretty well. The Ripper is catchy, heavy, and showcases every member of the band. Bert McCracken is at the top of his game here, with his emotional delivery selling the song to the listener perfectly. Session drummer Dean Butterworth creates some very effective drum parts as well, keeping time perfectly in the song’s fast pace. On the surface, The Ripper seems like a more streamlined version of the band’s older material, but that changes fairly quickly. Studio effects are soon brought into play, fading the band in and out and twisting around Bert’s vocals to give the song a haunting atmosphere. Some of these moments are very effective, such as the bit of the second verse that is acapella, and the powerful bridge where Bert revives his old screams. Other parts seemed shoehorned in simply to create the illusion that something interesting is happening. This quickly become a noticeable pattern on Lies for the Liars: that while some of the studio interjection adds a lot to the songs, other parts simply could have been done without.
Surprisingly though, the album rarely gives the impression of being overproduced. The studio work here is actually quite tasteful, and adds a lot to the music. A prime example would be the album’s first single, The Bird And The Worm. The Bird And The Worm is, quite frankly, the best song The Used have ever done, and it wouldn’t be the same if it lacked the haunting string section or the eerie background noises. For once, nothing seems out of place in a Used song. The dynamics between the verse and chorus are pulled off flawlessly, the guitar lines aren’t boring (perhaps due to how little they play) , and Bert’s lyrics are more mature than they’ve ever been. The bridge is the most effective screaming outburst the band has ever done; the timing and delivery is executed flawlessly. At last, it seems like The Used have matured as songwriters.
The amount of great material on Lies For The Liars is almost surprising. It seems every other track show a new progression for the band, with it’s own unique sound. Earthquake is a ballad-like track, with chugging guitar and soothing strings. This is Bert’s best vocal performance on the entire album, as his vocals essentially ARE the songs dynamics. He wails over a mellow string part in the bridge, pleading “Help me save us/I’ve slaughtered us/I’ve murdered our love.” It’s clear from this point on that Bert is the album’s selling point. Songs like “With Me Tonight” are sold on Bert’s charisma alone (with some trumpet stabs in the background helping him along). Even lyrically, Bert has progressed. Songs like Pretty Handsome Awkward and Liar Liar are more like the band’s older material than anything else on the album, but again the progression lies in Bert’s delivery. Bert always seems on the verge of an emotional breakdown; half singing, half screaming his angry and sarcastic lyrics over catchy guitar riffs. The result a more complete sound than the Used have ever had, and shows exactly what made them stand out within their genre in the first place.
The album isn’t all high points however. Not every track has the sincerity and effectiveness of those described above. Songs like Hospital and Paralyzed aren’t bad, but they lack any real progression. They sound as if they could have been off the band’s last effort, In Love And Death, but with studio effects shoehorned in to create the illusion of progress. Barring this, however, they aren’t entirely un-listenable. Find A Way is the album’s only “overproduced song”, using almost every trick in the book to try and hide the fact that The Used are rather poor at writing slower songs. Wake The Dead is a flat out bad song, featuring sloppy musicianship, awful lyrics, and an annoying melody. Despite these brief ventures into mediocrity, there’s really not a moment on the album where the band takes a step backwards. They simply take risks that don’t work out.
Lies for the Liars is the best album The Used have produced, and yet it still falls short of reaching the band’s full potential. It is, however, a massive leap in the right direction. One can only hope that the band as whole follows Bert’s lead, and gains confidence enough to push their limits and take risks. Then, and only then can they create the opus they’re destined create. Until that point, Used fans have Lies For The Liars to enjoy, and that is by no means a bad thing.
