PREMIERE: The Con & The Liar Bring Genres Together in EP ‘Biting’

How do you top a great debut album that showcases some of the best Brisbane rock? Why you double down and bring together everything you love under one release, of course! The Con & The Liar have dropped their sophomore EP ‘Biting’ and the six-track release defies sub-genres as the band try their hand at a number of styles, from blues-influenced rock to thrashing punk, and a hefty sampling of everything in between.

The EP explodes out of the gates with the opening track Way Too Much Rum, channeling a very The Living End-style of punkabilly/surf-rock sound featuring a rollicking lead guitar riff with just a touch of reverb. This combines with a snare-riddled beat, a bouncing bass line, and smooth harmonies to nicely showcase the band’s cohesion and tight production.

Lead single Sick Seedy takes a turn toward the raw, metallic sound of DZ Deathrays. The Con & The Liar don’t xerox their fellow Brisbanites though, instead putting their own spin on the style. Slightly more refined vocals and an ever-so-subtle tap of the brakes in verses showcase the intricate guitar and bass work more effectively than the wall of sound in the choruses.

The EP’s second single Drummers & Lovers is a blues-inspired number that seems to have been custom-built for a huge stadium audience. The echoing vocals and massive chorus riff both explode away from the quieter verses that focus on a choppy drum beat. Arctic Monkeys should keep one eye open – this song could steal their thunder with its huge production.

“[The Con & The Liar] have their own spin on familiar styles, giving new life to classic sounds and genres…”

The Devil In Her Eyes takes a more grandiose approach to its form than the previous tracks. Octave harmonies between the bass and lead guitar impose a thick, solid sound similar to a Led Zeppelin or Wolfmother aesthetic. Towards the end of the track the dynamics shifts between soft rhythmic riffing and loud grinding.

Swinging From the Curtain offers listeners a slight break from the intensity of the previous four tracks. For the most part the song strolls along with a slow drum beat and hollowed-out electric guitar chords, but towards the end the song’s extended solo showcases a throwback to an old-school electric blues style.

Lastly, Bluer Than The Sea seemingly combines many of the previous tracks’ elements into one – strolling bass, rhythmic riffing, and reverberating guitar lines move around a husky vocal line early in the track, before it all explodes into an overdrive-powered instrumental break. No sooner are you greeted by the big wall of sound it’s stripped in favour of the quieter verse, only at the end of the song are you treated to a final dose of huge cacophony.

In ‘Biting’, The Con & The Liar channel and take influence from a number of artists, but it’s much more than a simple rehashing of previous band’s work. They have their own spin on familiar styles, giving new life to classic sounds and genres, and the EP serves as a very fitting follow up to their 2014 debut EP ‘Deserters’.

The Con & The Liar ‘Biting’ EP Launch

THU 23 JUN
The Brightside, Brisbane

Tickets on the Door