The United States might be the dominating force in most aspects of the entertainment industry, but when it comes to constantly delivering new and universally appealing bands that operate within the rock-genre, many would argue that the United Kingdom has them beat. The latest piece of evidence to support that claim is an alt-rock trio from the outskirts of London known as White Lies.

Formerly known as Fear of Flying, these guys released their debut album To Lose My Life… in January, and they have already received much well-deserved praise for their efforts. It is more than obvious that these guys share their influences, such as for instance Joy Division, with other Brit-rock bands that are currently enjoying the spotlight, but White Lies takes the grandiose sound that Glasvegas became popular with last year, tunes it down a notch and lends prominence to other elements to create a more diverse sound.

Death is the first track on the record; a well written and beautifully arranged tale of fear, presumably drawing parallels between fear of flying and fear of falling in love, contemplations about what will happen when it all comes crashing down and how one will handle the situation if it becomes a reality. As it fades out, and the title track starts playing it becomes obvious that these guys are caught up in death and the mysteries that surround it. To Lose My Life starts with the phrase ” He said to lose my life or lose my love / that’s the nightmare I’ve been running from ” - and as you delve further inside the lyrics you find that this song are the reflections of one who has found his soul mate and the impossible choice between what’s worst, to die first or lose your love. The train of thoughts ends up with the ultimate compromise: ” Let’s grow old together and die at the same time. ”

A Place to Hide continues in the same direction with thoughts around judgement day beautifully presented with the aid of dreamy synth sounds and infectious percussion, while the fourth track, Fifty On Our Foreheads draws in elements from all over the place, with obvious influences from funk, classic rock and even disco being meshed together into what can only be described as monumental compositions of sound that should be perfect for those large stadium concerts.

Almost halfway through the record we’re presented with what’s arguably the peak of White Lies’ collection of songs so far. Literally interpreted Unfinished Business is a story about a man killed by his lover who comes back as a ghost, refusing to leave this world behind as his desire to stay with his love is still far too strong, despite the betrayal, as illustrated by the lyrics: ” I looked in the mirror / but something was wrong / I saw you behind but my reflection was gone. ” More metaphorically it can obviously be interpreted as a telling tale of how love conquers all, and ignites forgiveness of even the darkest of betrayals.

Although the first half of the record is more than solid, Colin McVeigh, Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown show that they have don’t plan on dropping the ball as they keep up the momentum with track number six, E.S.T. (presumably an abbreviation for Electric Shock Therapy.) It features a distinct and instantly likable mix between high-pitched and dark, low sounds strung together, building further on the anthemic sound that characterizes the album. This is elaborated even further with From The Stars, the seventh track, but here they let the vocals take precedence over the other elements.

Just as you think that you know exactly what these guys are about and what they have to offer, they play out an ace from their sleeves with Farewell To The Fairground. As soon as the drums start playing, you will instantly recognize this tune as the treat to the more classic rock fans that have taken a liking to White Lies, because on this track they let the more conventional traits of the genre dominate from the already mentioned drums to the prominent, grungy guitar via the less polished vocals.

Nothing To Give serves as the less interesting portion of the album, as it essentially just acts as a story told with background music and unlike the rest of the tracks there is just nothing that grabs a hold of you and shakes you lose. Fortunately though, just as you are ready to switch to a different record, To Lose My Life still has one final treat in store for you. The Price Of Love is an aural experience of epic proportions, and as it builds its momentum through the first verse with lyrics that are close to morbid, but still for some undefined reason interesting, you’ll just find yourself sitting back to enjoy not the music, but the story. Because this album is just as much about great storytelling as it is about music, and I for one love that.

You can listen to four tracks from To Lose My Life… at White Lies’ MySpace profile, and you can get a signed copy of the CD by pre-ordering it from newburycomics (US release date is March 17th.)

/ Posted: Mar 10, 2009
/ Written by: Lars-Christian
/ Category: Album Reviews
/ Artist(s): White Lies