Northern Liberties is one of those bands from the Worldeater Records Summer Sampler that, well, quite honestly, confused the living fuck out of me. While they are yet another indie band, there is something strangely wonderful about the music they create. Believe me, I despise indie. With a burning passion. It may be the interesting art conceived by Vocalist/percussionist Justin Duerr. It may be the fact that they have a very tribal sound due to the music being written strongly around drum beats and bass lines. Who knows. All I know is that many of the bands coming out of Worldeater Records definitely deserve more recognition than they’re getting. I know for a fact these guys beat the pants off the likes of Battleship and Horse the Band. Battleship being the biggest headache I have ever experienced in my time here at Heathen Harvest, but that’s another story best saved for another time… I guess calling them indie really isn’t fair. They do lean more towards Punk Rock. I can hear comparisons from the likes of old-school masters The Ramones to the newer up-tempo Legbone. I must admit that, lending to further confusion, this band doesn’t seem to be about much of anything, and everything at the same time. While one would assume with an album title like “Secret Revolution” that this album would be intensely politically charged. While this is true in a much more drawn back sense, there is also a strong sense of romanticism in the poetry that Mr. Duerr writes. Imaginative, and even at times quixotic, Duerr forces up many images of an almost impulsive war within the city itself, painting the late night skyline with flame. There are also many experimental sections in this music to be found, such as on track 6: Auto Pilot. They try to use a very interesting delay effect on Duerr’s voice, and while I’m not sure if they really meant for it to come out like this, it seems rather brilliant for the song’s lyrical values. Even if you’re not a fan of indie or punk rock, the sheer artistic value of this release is well worth the purchase. If nothing else, Duerr’s paintings are indeed very talented for a young man in his choice of scene. Besides, if many of these artists are going to get the attention they deserve, Worldeater Records could definitely use the financial support. They are a non-profit label, and I respect that immensely.
-Lord Lycan of heathenharvest.com