White Lies - Ritual, a review

I was a huge fan of White Lies' debut, "To Lose My Life". "Farewell to the Fairground" is still my ringtone (so is coming up to 2 years as so) and I still listen to "Death" virtually every day. So it was always going to be a difficult task for 'Ritual' to match up to this, and, I have to warn, it doesn't.

Ignoring the dodgy choice of artwork, there's an obvious change of musical direction. Gone are the tense, doomy atmospherics that set a majestic backdrop to the likes of 'E.S.T.' and 'To Lose My Life', and in its place is a surge in drumbeats, even dance influences. To describe it with aid of other musicians, they've essentially gone from Joy Division lite to Nine Inch Nails lite.

However, "Is Love" is an ambitious and exciting opener. Slowly building throughout it peaks with a thrilling pace and a choice set of lyrics ('the milk that's going rancid on the table'), aided with unusual guitar twangs. "Strangers" follows and is perhaps the most immediately obvious throwback to their debut - with swansong vocals and lyrics of the perils of love. A great chorus also assures this as one of the album's highlights.



The first occasion I heard "Bigger Than Us" I was less than blown away. The vocals appeared distorted and there was something quite minimal about it, as if being a stadium anthem without the crowd. However it's considerably grown since, but still lacks some variety in the verses perhaps.

"Peace & Quiet" follows and has a noticeably quieter sound. Immediately 80s influences begin to present themselves, with synths and guitar effects providing a nostalgic mood. The lyrics in particular create a ritualistic aspect of romance, with talks of prayer, bliss and solitude. However just as it seems to show promise, "Streetlights" emerges. "Bored girls and sad boys / dull roads to anywhere" almost perfectly describe the ambition of this track, almost a White Lies 'Paint By Numbers' kit.

There is another glimpse of greatness, thankfully, with "Holy Ghost". The pace and synths this time have pure hooks and although a couple of wobbly lyrics ("you were writhing on the floor like a moth in molasses") threaten to taint the mood, musically it's faultless. The same can't be said for "Turn The Bells" which is constantly ripe for mocking ("peaks puncture the sky like a child's icy toes"? Really?) It might provide a nice VT opportunity for a 2012 song but that's about all this track is capable of.



A sinister synth that persists throughout "The Power & The Glory" has a slight toe-curling effect on me but that's not enough to detract from the genuinely interesting developments it offers - brass, strings and an almost Pet Shop Boys synth make this peak, if not convincingly with the lyrics then at least musically. "Bad Love" has an immediately predictable rhythm and direction, but delivery at least prevents it from being totally void.

There's an unpleasant feeling by closer "Come Down" that you actually want the whole thing to just end right now, and this isn't helped by the stinker of an opening lyric ("I felt loved last night for the first time in a long time") and Harry McVeigh's vocals do begin to irritate somewhat.

So it's unfortunate to end on a bum note but I wonder if perhaps their niche has now been long exploited - since 2009 moody electronic-rock hasn't exactly been sparse in availability. Florence + the Machine, Zola Jesus, HURTS, The Temper Trap and more have hammered the point home that electronics can be used to emotive effect and with such persistence that the entire genre bores me now (and with the turning of attentions to dubstep and blues, perhaps current musicians have too). However, all of the problems with themes and genre aside, there has been some real promise for White Lies' second effort and that more than makes up for the disappointment.

Rating: 4.5/10
Highlights: Is Love, Strangers, Bigger Than Us, The Power & The Glory, Holy Ghost
Avoid: Streetlights, Come Down, Turn the Bells