Single Alert: Liar, Liar by The Fleeting Romance
Wichita Falls original rock returns to all platforms
Wichita Falls rock trio The Fleeting Romance is back with a new streaming single “LIAR, LIAR,” a heavy, mainstream rock track featuring the powerful lead vocals and songwriting of singer/guitarist Brandt Holmes.
If this were a surface-level, cursory review, it would be easy to compare The Fleeting Romance to turn-of-the-millennium post-grunge bands like Smile Empty Soul and Ra, but TFR is more than that.
Up and coming groups often sound like their contemporaries, but after listening to their previous single “Double Crossed” — a song drummer Billy Pennington told me was not their favorite choice and which they recorded at the behest of others, outside the band — then listening to “Liar, Liar,” it’s clear The Fleeting Romance has a sound. They don’t sound like their contemporaries, they sound like themselves, and that is the mark of a group on the rise.
I asked Holmes about the lyrics and he said they’re ambiguous; intended to be interpreted in a number of contexts. “It’s about the person being lied to coming to their senses,” he said, “Whether it be a voter sick of the politicians or a loved one getting sick of their significant other and the manipulative ways they use lying to get what they want.”
Judge for yourself.
Try to see
See yourself through my eyes
Would you believe
All of the lies
Constantly holding on to letting go
It will be the death of me
Eventually
You will be weeded out
For all to see
You better believe
Constantly holding on to letting go
It will be the death of me
yes I know
I heard every word you said to me
And I know, in my heart I don’t believe
The words you said to me
Drummer Billy Pennington produced “LIAR, LIAR,” a first for the stalwart Wichita Falls skinsman. “I spent the last few years buying studio equipment and teaching myself to record/engineer/produce. This is my first song and I have to admit that I'm very proud of the results,” Pennington said on social media.
I reached out to Billy about the production process and he said “This track is really, in my opinion, a jumping off point for the way we plan to move forward as a band. We think that the DIY approach is the best way to ensure that not only is "the product" as authentic as possible, but that we're held accountable for our own situation.” When asked to elaborate, he concluded “If we take ownership of our responsibilities, then we can't honestly justify complaining or looking for someone to blame when we're unhappy with the results.”
With a solid, rhythmic performance from Scott Szczepinski on the bass, there’s no reason for TFR to be unhappy with these results. In an era when new rock is so often focused on technical proficiency and virtuosic performances, “LIAR, LIAR” is a refreshing effort, laser-focused on songwriting, and the end product shows it.
Add “LIAR, LIAR” to your favorite rock playlist on Spotify, or Apple Music.
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