March/April 2009

Music: Habeas Corpus

Poli-rock band Living Things offers up a soundtrack for the coming apocalypse.

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The political rock outfit Living Things has crafted a thrilling soundtrack for society’s impending meltdown, tempering the hard-rock roar of its previous effort with a polished sheen while churning up high-octane boogie grooves reminiscent of ZZ Top. Singer Lillian Berlin, one of three brothers in the St. Louis quartet, alternates between anxious whispers and a curdled sneer; in “Snake Oil Man,” he snarls, “War is just murder with a noble name” and warns, “Lock your doors / The Constitution’s gone awol” in “The Kingdom Will Fall.” Even “Let It Rain,” a melancholy power ballad about glory days past and aimed at the mainstream, oozes timely dread.

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