Sarah Shook is a name that I’ve heard a few times surrounding the scene of music that I find myself tangled in, and somehow I’ve never taken the time to listen to the work that they did with their band Sarah Shook and the Disarmers. The second I hit play on the first song off of Mightmare’s Cruel Liars, I was immediately embarrassed for not being more familiar, but extremely grateful that this one did not miss me, and excited that I have a back catalog to dig through.

I listen to a lot of music from a lot of genres, and usually I find a takeaway or some piece of enjoyment in almost anything that I take the time to listen to. Rarely does a piece of music just hit me in the gut and drag me on a ride whether I’m ready or not. Cruel Liars is exactly that kind of record. There is a skill that I find to be one of the most intriguing and difficult to master: Saying a lot without using a lot of words, and Sarah Shook has that skill with room to spare.