By Connor LaLone

Coheed and Cambria (“A Favor House Atlantic”) has never attempted to confine itself to a particular genre or style, and instead consistently produces a unique and unmistakable sound. Since the group’s formation in 1995, frontman Claudio Sanchez has garnered a cult following as a supremely talented musician, lyricist, vocalist and storyteller. All but one of Coheed’s albums are concept albums that revolve around “The Amory Wars,” a science fiction storyline written by Sanchez himself. 

The group released the third single from their upcoming album “Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind,” “The Liars Club” on Feb 22, picking up where they left off with 2018’s “Vaxis  – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures.” Both albums build on the already expansive and lengthy “Amory Wars” story and universe. “The Liars Club” joins the already released “Shoulders” and “Rise Naianasha (Cut the Cord)” and in true Coheed and Cambria fashion, all three songs are markedly different in musical style as well as lyrical composition. 

“The Liars Club” is decidedly the most “pop” feeling of the singles released from the band’s newest album so far. It arguably has the truest pop-punk sound the band has created since its first album, “The Second Stage Turbine Blade,” which was released twenty years ago. Sanchez’s vocals are pleasantly similar to his past performances on songs like “Blood Red Summer” or “Cuts Marked in the March of Men,”  both from 2003 release “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.” 

Lyrically, the track deals with the concept of lying and sacrificing one’s personality for the betterment of a relationship. The as-of-yet undetermined narrator of the song suggests he is more than okay with pretending everything is okay to maintain the facade of a happy and successful relationship: “Oh, do you want me to lie/‘Cause I could do it, baby, I could do it/lie to you/Please ask me to/cause life feels so much better when we just avoid the truth.” 

Sanchez has an impressive history of creating upbeat melodies that are in direct contrast to the darker and more depressive lyrics they cloak. “The Liars Club” is another example in a long line of tracks that have catchy musical structures despite their upsetting and emotionally dense subjects and meanings. The song itself is a masterful display of the incredible musicianship that Sanchez, guitarist Travis Stever, bassist Zach Cooper and drummer Josh Eppard have honed over the last two decades, with steady, technical drumming underlying guitars that have become synonymous with the band. 

Ultimately, “The Liars Club” is a brilliant composition from a brilliant band, and demonstrates the ability of Coheed and Cambria to create excellent music that defies genres and labels. The group’s style has been heavily inspired by bands like The Police (“King of Pain”) and Queen (“We Are the Champions”) and they’re often likened to another group that tends to avoid characterization, Rush (“Resist”). The three singles released from the scheduled May 27 album each represent a different and unique style, representative of the band’s diversity and flexibility throughout its career. “The Liars Club” combines the pop-punk musical nature of Coheed’s early music with the intense and emotional lyricism that has defined more recent albums. The song is a masterful display of the suffering experienced when trying to hold together a failing relationship and the lengths one will go to in order to welcome home their loved ones. 

Image from Coheed and Cambria via YouTube