When Awesomer, Blood On The Wall’s sophomore record, was released Time Out New York ran a feature on the band, adding the tag line “Local Band’s Favorite Local Band” to the cover. In September of 2005, that claim was anything but an exaggeration. With an acute pop sensibility, an arsenal of hooks, and an energy that left ear-to-ear smiles on the faces of audience members, the band’s endearingly spastic live set had more than earned them that title. Blood On The Wall were, however, quick to grow beyond their reputation as a local band. In the months that followed, they would be hand picked to play with the likes of Black Dice, Psychic Ills, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ariel Pink, Dead Moon, The Kills, Fiery Furnaces, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. as they criss-crossed the country and toured Europe under the wing of like-minded label Fat Cat Records. While you can take the band out of the locale, it’s impossible to pry that spirit from the band; Blood On The Wall charmed audiences far and wide with the same sincerity that had won them a die-hard fanbase in New York.
Liferz finds the band expanding their sound and honing their aesthetic while staying true to their roots. Approaching the new material in the studio with the same earnest energy that characterizes their live shows, Blood On The Wall have crafted their best record to date. The raw energy is still there – tracks like album opener Hibernation and the relentlessly catchy “Rize” nearly bubble over with the band’s patent explosiveness. But Blood On The Wall are no one-trick pony, and Liferz is most definitely a diverse outing. The band balances their frenetic bursts with tempered songs like the slow-churning Lightning Song.
Having gone from hometown heroes to national fan favorites and critical darlings, the band has earned its reputation as top of the rock heap. Along the way they’ve been able to translate their notoriously wild live show effectively to the studio, putting out raucously fun records. Liferz is a portrait of a band at the top of their game – somehow they have managed to get even more “awesomer”.
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