TODD RUNDGREN - LIARS

Todd Rundgren is back with an album called Liars. It\'s not so much a concept album, as it is just based on a theme: the truth. Throughout, Todd takes on liars in every form, from male/female relations to music to God. It’s his first album in a decade, but it-- like everything else Todd does-- is timeless.
There are bits and pieces that will remind you of his previous albums like Everything/Nothing, and the production work he did on XTC’s masterpiece Skylarking, but with new additions, like drum and bass breakdowns. Todd produced, recorded, and played every instrument on the disc, and the perfectionist in him shows.
Rundgren’s music has always been a little out there. Sure, it has great, catchy melodies and plays around with genres the way that Zappa did; but there is something about what he does that, like Zappa, is not easily accessible to everyone. The heavy synthesizer approach sounds a little dated, and may cause problems with new people trying to check out this album. But if you give it a couple thorough listens, and read some of the lyrics, I’d be surprised if you don’t find a lot to love in this disc.
Tunes like \"Stood Up\" show off his power-pop influence on XTC. \"Past\" is a funky Prince-style song, and \"Flaw\" sounds like a Boyz II Men love song, with the catchy chorus: \"So, why you gotta be such a lyin\'-ass motherfucker?\"
If you dig Ween, Peter Gabriel, XTC, Zappa, Beefheart, or anything else that showcases great songwriting with a skewed sense of humor, Liars is waiting for you.