Issue 513

The White Lies Ritual Universal/Fiction In 2009, 'To Lose My Life' came from nowhere to sell over a million copies worldwide. It must've been difficult for a band which began in a mate's back room while creating an unexpectedly successful debut to follow it up. But rather than panic, The White Lies have returned even stronger than before with the hauntingly beautiful alternative/rock of 'Ritual'. Is Love is a perfect opening track. The opening few seconds capture you in the familiar haunt of Harry McVeigh's voice, but it's when the music kicks in after the 90 second mark that you'll start to discover what The White Lies have achieved. Bigger Than Us is one of their best tracks to date and a great choice as first single. It shows how the young band has vastly improved in such a short time. Not only are McVeigh's vocals amazing, but his ability to craft a classic guitar riff is second to none. Mix this with Charles Cave's bass and Jack Lawrence-Brown's pounding drums and you have a catchy, energetic song. The band has clearly gone for a bigger and bolder sound - epic if you will - which belies the three band members, sounding more like six of seven musicians. The keyboards are much fuller in the mix creating uplifting moments which soar majestically. This is most evident on the tracks Streetlights and Holy Ghost. The band has been associated with the likes of Joy Division, Editors and even Interpol. But there is a difference between directly copying and wearing your influences on your sleeve. The White Lies are more euphoric and uplifting; where the Editors tried to change a successful recipe by incorporating keyboards and ditching guitars on their third album,The White Lies have realised that a good mix of both will produce a great album. The three London lads have tried very hard on 'Rituals', proving that hard work gets results. Fans have waited two years won't be disappointed, as this album will have the staying power to feature in a few Top 5 lists by the end of 2011. Darren Bevington Leach