Liars Academy

No News Is Good News (2001)

Andy

First let me state that this debut album from the Liars Academy is a solid, fun rock album.
I picked this up a few summers ago in the used bin and it has quite honestly been a staple in my stereo ever
since I got it. No News Is Good News is one of those CDs that you can just listen to over and over. It's
hard not to sing along and have a good time listening to this CD, and isn't that what music is all about?

Many complain that this CD is quite simple and very dull in the fact that it sounds like most other
indie rock albums. Simple guitars, basic drumming and average vocals. I've heard some say the Liars
Academy sound like the Alkaline Trio if the Alkaline Trio wasn't very good. Granted that may be a
good way to describe the bands sound; the majority of the songs are 2-3 minute punk rock songs without
the punk, without the edge; the band sounds a lot better than a sub-par Alkaline Trio. Hell, I like
the Liars Academy better than the Alkaline Trio. It's easy to fall in love with this album if you
enjoy no nonsense rock.

Each song sort of blends into the next, creating a very fluid listen. There are some hard to listen to tracks
among these thirteen songs, but the majority are absolute joys to listen to. I've been rockin out and singin
along to “Disappearing Act,” “Kamikaze,” “Quarter Life Crisis,” “Nightlight” and the “Brick Wall Always Wins” for years.
Also, I have to say that the song Perfect is an amzing song that seems to break away slightly from the
sameness of the rest of the tracks. While those aren't the only good songs on the album, they are probably the
best reasons to pick up the Liars Academy's debut.

So yes this album does sound a little bland and isn't very original, but the songs are high quality songs.
Just like Limbeck, this band is talented enough to write a CD where all the songs sound the same, and it's a
good thing. Liars Academy have created a perfect album for driving or singing along to. With spring around
the corner, do yourself a favor and pick up this disc; it sounds even better on a cool night when you're
driving around or sitting outside.