
White Lies - To Lose My Life
Submitted by Tim Williamson 22/06/2009
While an indie rock group may not be particularly pertinent to an electronic music forum and may not necessarily warrant a review, the list of artists who have remixed White Lies debut album may very well whet your appetite.
The likes of Crystal Castles, M83, Mistabishi as well as Chase & Status have remixed songs from White Lies first full release To Lose My Life, whilst the group itself has been covering tracks such as Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” and Portishead’s “The Rip” during their live performances.
Comparisons stylistically to everyone from Joy Division, Interpol and the The Killers have been made, and after listening to their album even once, I’m sure you will see why. Despite the album title, the music is not depressing. It is however dark, and at times has the range to evoke everything from a sense of melancholy to almost euphoria.
The trio were formerly known as Fear of Flying, perhaps reflected in the first track “Death” which starts with the lyrics, “I love the feeling when we take off”, but builds to an epic crescendo when the group announce, “This fear has got a hold of me”. This tune had me so hooked the first time I heard it I quickly saved it into my phone as “White Lies – Death – Must Get”! Interestingly, this is also the tune that Chase & Status have created a Dubstep remix from.
The title track “To Lose My Life” is equally as catchy, with its chorus of “Let’s grow old together / and die at the same time”. While this may appear upon reading as a tad cheesy, it works well with the gloomy mood of the song.
The album itself is rich from start to end, and despite it being on high rotation I’ve neither got bored of it nor been able to spot a weak link amongst its ten songs. “Farewell To The Fairground” is another gem. Yusek has put out an electro remix of this, looping the lyrics “keep on running” to good effect.
“From the Stars” is another dark piece about spotting an old friend at a funeral and his actions afterwards, and is possibly the best written song on the album. The introduction of a string section half way through helps to build atmosphere and is a welcome inclusion.
Don’t be put off by the bleak name or track titles, this is as danceable as indie can get (well, almost!). With the resurgence of all things 80's, White Lies and their dark indie snyth laced music will be around for a while. No need to worry, if the group is covering Kanye live, it’s a safe bet to say that you won’t be applying black eyeliner by the end of the album. To Lose My Life rates 8.5/10.
For comments on this review, check out: http://www.teknoscape.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=44546
Tracklist: 1. Death 2. To Lose My Life 3. A Place To Hide 4. Fifty On Our Foreheads 5. Unfinished Business 6. E.S.T. 7. From The Stars 8. Farewell To The Fairground 9. Nothing To Give 10. The Price Of Love
< TS Reviews Index
|