Long revered as one of NYC’s best live bands, Blood On The Wall are defending that title with all their might on third release Liferz. While their last record, Awesomer, saw the band cement comparisons to early Sonic Youth and Pixies, Liferz crushes that wall and then joyfully rebuilds it. And singer/guitarist Brad Shanks hasn't calmed down a bit, all nervous yells and tongue-in-cheek vamping, like on the title track where he bellows the word "SIN" like he's auditioning for Wycked Sceptre. The riffs are thick as sludge, with the mix purposely dirtying their fuzzed-up approach.
Most interesting on Liferz is the interplay and parallels between brother Brad and sister Courtney, whose vocals on album standout "Rize" are truly endearing. Brad's songs are shambolic and heavy, his guitar ascending and then dropping to rock bottom in a split second. Courtney, on the other hand, opts for subtlety and restraint. Her vocal contributions mark a pronounced departure, which should spare them from comparisons to other indie relics they've weathered in the past, as well as giving the album the much-needed levity and balance it deserves.
However, the latter half drops off into formulaic patterns, wherein the band begins ripping off their own material. It hints at debuting a distinct voice, but sounds like Blood On The Wall are having too much of a good time tinkering with a tried and true approach. Not a big complaint, but it makes the album sound a little repetitive and aimless. "Acid Fight" seems to indicate that the band is in on the joke, with a spoken-word vocal repeating, "Is something wrong?"
Liferz succeeds in capturing many of the attributes that make Blood On The Wall such an exciting live band, but falls short of reaching the fresh territory that is hinted at early on in the album ("Lightning Song"). Nonetheless, you'll definitely see me at their next show.
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