White Lies – To Lose My Life – review

Corporate line: Since opening the NME New Noise Tour in ’08, White Lies have played well-received festival slots at Latitude, T In The Park, Fuji Rock Japan and a main stage performance at Lollapalooza festival in the US. Recorded at ICP studios in Brussels during the summer of 2008 with acclaimed producers Ed Buller (Pulp, Suede) and Max Dingel (The Killers, Glasvegas), the album will be features the singles ‘Death’ and ‘To Lose My Life’.

The good:
“Death” – “So frightened of dying/ Relax yes I’m trying/ This fears got a hold on me” kicks right into a very tightly woven track that bounces through fear and love and all the emotions in between.

“A Place To Hide: – “If judgment day is starting tonight at least I’ll know I was right/And I’ll be laughing at the end of the world” isn’t bad for a band who thrives in the dark corners of the room.

“Unfinished Business” – This could be the theme for “Corpse Bride” with its perfect mix of a bizarre love song and, you know, dead people.

The rest:
“To Lose My Life” – The Killers must wonder how White Lies stole their niche. It’s all a little too suicidal and dank.

“From The Stars” – A song about a millionaire isn’t necessarily lame—Blur made it fun with “Country House”—but White Lies don’t make it work with their gothic way. Which is odd because it seems like their job would have been easier than Blur’s.

Frankly:
White Lies are some sort of mix between The Killers and The Cure. Their style is surely left up to personal taste—and if you like your music gothic or if you like it sort of The Killers—without all the silliness—than White Lies are your cup of tea.