The Used – Lies for the Liars

After In Love And Death blew me away back in 2004, I became a fan of The Used. Their self-titled effort slowly grew on me and their live shows always filled me with anticipation. So the news of a new album just gave yet another spark to that anticipation and as the days grew closer I became more anxious to finally hear Lies For The Liars. It was obvious that I wanted to like this CD, in fact, I wanted to love this CD. Sadly though, Lies For The Liars failed to live up to any of my expectations.

While I would say I still like this album, that’s just because The Used delivered an easy-to-swallow, scene-friendly release which, in turns, makes it a decent album; but that’s all it will ever be. Where this album should have been great, it falls shot and is just good. The album kicks off promisingly with The Ripper (who, with the lyrics Times kills go ask Jesus, is the only song that features memorable lyrics other thanThe Bird And The Worm and Paralyzed), and Pretty Handsome Awkward is a solid radio-friendly rock anthem, but once Lies kicks pass the first single the album fails to jump at the listener other than a select few tracks. Find A Way‘s intro full of clicks and effects and body slaps sticks out a bit, but the slow track soon blends into the background. One of the only few songs that is actually able to stand out the whole way through is Paralyzed thanks to it’s unique, upbeat and energetic melody topped off with the chugging guitar riff and horns.

The rest of the album, however, fails to incite any emotion. McCracken’s vocals are crisp and strong throughout, but falter on the slower tracks and the entire album seems to be lacking in energy and intensity. The band has gone from being agitated screamers from Utah to a radio-friendly pop-punk band and the listener is left trying to find the intensity that filled their first two albums.

Despite always being known for experimenting and throwing up little effects threaded through the album (remember the shot gun on Take It Away?) but on Lies, The Used have gone overboard in that aspect too. With female screams, radio clips and creaks and groans galore, every track is the victim of pre-programmed effects and beats and mix it on top of the piano, horns and strings that adorn every second track and you get a busy, cluttered sound with no vivid direction.

It’s not a bad album, far from it – and Used fans will still like it- but it’s just that it falls short to expectations in almost every aspect. Where it could have been great, it’s simply mediocre. No longer unique, the album is radio-friendly rock teetering on the edge of pop-punk. It gets you wondering whether this is the same band that spat out A Box Full Of Sharp Objects five years ago.