Water Liars - "Wyoming"

After releasing Phantom Limb, their surprising debut album, just last year on Misra Records, the Mississippi-based indie rock duo Water Liars are set to release their stunning sophomore album Wyoming today via Big Legal Mess Records.  Such a quick follow-up may seem hasty but the production this time around is more focused, as it allows their blues-soaked two-part vocal harmonies and melodies more room to soar within the space created by their crafty yet sparse arrangements.       

The album opens with “Sucker” and its distorted blues guitars and the close knit harmonies of vocalist/gutarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster and drummer/vocalist Andrew Bryant.  First single and standout track “Fake Heat” follows with guitars that alternate between mesmerizing and crunchy along with some aching vocals and thunderous drums.  The other single released is “Linens”, which offers up earnest lyrics and a breezy classic Country & Western vibe with a catchy chorus and is the only song with a proper bass line, provided by guest Matt Patton.  The dynamic “Backbone” opens as a stomping blues barn-burner before relenting into a beautiful waltz.  Next, “Cut A Line” features an intriguing mix of glimmering 50’s doo-wop tones along with soulful, Gospel-drenched vocal harmonies for another standout moment.  “How Will I Call You” is a short and sweet folk tune with a timeless quality.  “Wyoming”, the title track is appropriately titled, with its wistful and wispy melodies that are reminiscent of the windy plains found in the namesake state.  “You Work Days I Work Nights” showcases the relatable everyman lyrics and sentiments that these Midwesterners are steeped in.  “Fine Arts” switches between quiet, gorgeous moments and contrastingly louder moments with crashing cymbals and squalling feedback noise.  “Bird Of Song” offers a change of pace as a piano-led ballad.  And the eleven track album closes out with the heartbreaking, feedback-drenched closer, “Fire”. 

Showing incredible growth from their already great debut, Water Liars prove with their new album, Wyoming that they are a force (and voice) to be reckoned with in the crowded musical landscape. 

Download “Fake Heat” here: https://soundcloud.com/big-legal-mess/water-liars-fake-heat

For more info: http://www.waterliarsmusic.com/ and http://biglegalmessrecords.com/ and http://misrarecords.com/artists/water-liars/