How many bands could boast that they had more record deal offers within days of their first live performance than many bands get in a lifetime of trying? Not many. And first in line amongst them would most certainly be the mighty White Lies, who can also add the accolade of being nominated for 4 pretty major industry awards in their debut year, including both the Q Awards’ and the NME’s Best New Band 2009.
So what’s all the fuss about? Their debut album To Lose My Life must be something pretty special to warrant all this hype, right? Let’s take a closer look.
Cheesy Synth Rock and Deep Vocals
To Lose My Life is dark and romantic (in the poetic sense), with all the danger and promise of a sparkling moonlight night. Think wolves howling at the moon. The songs call to mind a glittering array of muted colours, shades of silver and gray that hark back to an ‘80s’ penchant for cheesy synth rock and deep lower register vocals. Moody and intense, this album is also bizarrely uplifting, with power and pace that raise the starry melodies to almost epic proportions.
Death and Fear of Flying
The brilliant “Death” opens the album with the promise of pace in its opening bars. The song’s concept, being afraid of suddenly falling whilst flying in the sky is an obvious reference to the White Lies first incarnation, Fear of Flying. "Death" then is an apt way to start this new debut. It’s restrained too, before belting into its chorus. As the booming baritone of lead vocalist Harry McVeigh reaches into the upper registers it takes on a volume and urgency that drives the song and features regularly in the more powerful tracks on the album.
“Unfinished Business” and “To Lose My Life”, the other two early singles from the album, prove that the White Lies can do melodies, original ones at that, which makes those occasional monotonous verses all the more bizarre and out of place. Also problematic is the heavy reliance on synthesisers; it can make otherwise rich melodies sound hollow, heartfelt lyrics feel clichéd and worn. However, it is also part of the make up of the White Lies’ sound, which looks back to the tinny Romanticism and belting vocals of the ‘80s. So, taken in context, it works.
Adrenaline Rush Combat Music
“A Place to Hide” is a deliciously uplifting and energising track. It’s got catchy little melodies, despite a tinny synthed refrain, and showcases the essential power and range of McVeigh’s vocal. Frantic guitars, interrupted rhythms and a flowing, running chorus, combine in this danger-fuelled adrenaline rush of a track.
The combat theme continues in “Fifty on our Foreheads”. It starts slowly with yet more metaphors of that night time, lone wolf ilk. Then intense war imagery meets those soaring vocals as McVeigh sings his soul into the late night sky. It’s weapons grade power.
Doctor Who?
It’s a little unfortunate that “EST” has a bass line that sounds remarkably like the theme tune from Doctor Who. Maybe it’s meant to be like that, who knows? Get beyond it though, and quickly, because “EST” is possibly Indie Suite’s favourite track on the album. It shows more variation in its composite parts that any other track, and it shows off everything great about the White Lies to a tee: blasting upper register vocals, a dark and dangerous feel, driving percussion, powerful mid-sections and deliriously uplifting choruses.
Bottomless Vocals
The rest of the album falls a little short of the standard set so far. “From the Stars” is, frankly, boring. “Farewell to the Fairground” is a little more interesting but still fails to reach the exhilaration of previous singles. “Nothing to Give” is powerless, it has no backbone, nothing to hook itself on. As such it’s a huge, wailing, blobbing jellyfish of a track where McVeigh’s bottomless vocals swim aimlessly through a muddy and unshaped accompaniment. “The Price of Love” just feels a little cringeworthy. It’s got some shockingly cheesy clichéd lyrics and doesn’t even seem to notice.
Johnny Cash Vocals and Combat Music to Get your Blood Pumping
It takes a while to get used to McVeigh’s almost Johnny Cash style, booming baritone. And when combined with the band’s reliance on limited note melodies, some verses have a real tendency towards the monotonous, like in parts of “From the Stars”, “Fifty on Our Foreheads” or the near dirge “Nothing to Give”. McVeigh’s upper register work is much more energising, uplifting and brilliant. Luckily most tracks do kick into this more exciting arena at some point, and so the hard work of droning vocals early on is normally quickly paid off.
To Lose My Life is worth the effort. Its filled with moonlight imagery that would put the new Twillight movie to shame, and combat metaphors that will get your blood pumping. As 2009 has already proved, The White Lies have got soul, and they’re soldiers.
Further Reading
Readers who enjoyed reading about The White Lies may also enjoy reviews of The Killers and Kings of Leon.
Lisa Sutlieff - Lisa is a freelance music journalist and copywriter from Reading, UK, with a penchant for indie bands and an ear for shiny new ...
