White Lies have their work cut out for them. Their debut album, To Lose My Life, not only faces the fickle bitch that is internet hype, but they’re also plying the sort of new wave retread that became ever so passé with hipsters ages ago. With this formidable combination of hurdles, the band is sure to be subjected to all kinds of self-gratified ridicule at the hands of Pitchfork Media, but the truth is their Echo & The Bunnymen, by way of The Killers, aping more often than not makes for an undeniably entertaining listen.
If you can stomach more doom and gloom posturing than you’d find on a trip to Hot Topic, To Lose My Life will repay you with a steady stream of synth-laden, stadium-sized rock that glimmers with the best production money can buy. These three Brits like their music very big and very bleak, almost to a fault, as nearly every song here seems engineered around the inevitably huge chorus that is quite likely about a funeral, or teardrops, or some combination of the two. It’s a bit ironic that when my girlfriend first introduced me to the single, and album opener, Death, I was worried the band didn’t quite grasp the concept of the hook, but at least vocalist Harry McVeigh has pipes more than capable of pulling off the fist-pumping bombast he’s so obviously in love with. And while this can all feel a bit one dimensional in a way that might make you wonder about longevity, why waste any time worrying about an album growing tired when you’re having so much damn fun listening to it now?
Yeah, the lyrics get a bit lame, but sometimes it’s fun to sing to overly dramatic music/lyrics in the car complete with dance moves (mainly the sailboat)…or maybe that’s just me. White Lies is awesome.
It’s true, if any cd would ever tempt me to rip off my clothes and run into the sunset, it’d probably be this one. But first I have to find an abandoned fairground to run from. Or at least an old seesaw.
There’s always Glen Echo Park. I think we should hold hands and run into the sunset. Maybe we can go south?
I really liked The Price of Love when I first heard it. I’m a fool for bands incorporating classical elements into their songs, which explains why The National is my favourite band of all times.
Anyways… The Price of Love has this incredible accumulation of strings I could listen to over and over. Other than that I completely agree with Mandi, the lyrics especially of that particular song are so dramatic;)
p.s. if anyone shares my proclivity, check out The National’s Cherry Tree
I am with you on string arrangements, particularly when they’re incorporated well. But yeah, those lyrics haven’t gotten any less dramatic in the last year.
I have to say, I didn’t give this album enough credit for longevity. I still listen to it fairly regularly, and in a way I’ve come to appreciate the theatrical side of it even more. It’ll be interesting to see how they follow it up, as I am sure that’s in the works.