Ritual
Released 17th January 2011 on Fiction Records
White Lies are an odd band to try and categorise, like Placebo they have a wide appeal, NME seems just as likely to write about them as does Kerrang.
Following on from their superb debut album 'To Lose My Life...' Ritual finds White Lies developing their sound, experimenting with new ones and dropping many of the aspects that once saw them seen as a Joy Division rip off band. However, I suspect this new sound is going to alienate some of their fan base and drawing comparisons between the two records is going to be difficult.
'Is Love' opens the album, and by the time the song's finished it's apparent this album isn't going to be To Lose My Life 2.0. some interesting instrumentation is played around with on this one, but it's going to be a great live song and builds up to be quite anthemic.
Second track, 'Strangers', is quite straight-forward song, but even here the use of synthesisers is something that wouldn't quite have fit in on the last album. First single 'Bigger Than Us' is the first (and maybe only) song that would feel at home one 'To Lose My Life...', with some great music and the White Lies-esque lyrics of "I wanted to stay / and lights on the hillside don't take me this way / I want you to hold me, and I want you to pray / This is bigger than us" there's no question this is going to be a live favourite to sing along to.
Next up 'Peace & Quiet' starts off like a new-wave version of a slow White Lies song, but the chorus feels a bit too cheesy pop ballad for my liking, but hey, maybe it'll grow on me. 'Streetlights' starts off quite minimalistic in it's sound and has some pretty decent lyrics "I'm bored and I'm afraid I'm falling like rain for you / So tired of picking skin, just 'coz it's something to do", a shame then that the chorus kinda just bumps along rather than going anywhere or lifting the song to new heights.
'Holy Ghost' then picks the album back up a bit, possible single material this song is going to be another live favourite, and is a great example of the new sounds and structures they're experimenting with on this album (n.b. anybody else reminded of Boney M's 'Daddy Cool'with the bass line?).
'Turn The Bells' is notable for it's almost Nine Inch Nails-esque use of percussion (that said, they were using Nine Inch Nails producer), unfortunately however this is one of the albums weaker songs, it just doesn't do anything.
'The Power & The Glory' is the most enjoyable song on the album and likely to be the second single, or would be if I had my way, a slow-starter it builds up to be a beast of a song, perhaps White Lies most uplifting song to date, even with their pendant sinister lyrics intact "As empty handed leaving as I was when I came / Tip-toeing through the rubble / and running through the flames".
Shame then that it is followed by 'Bad Love', musically it's one of the heavier songs, but it's let down by some suspicious lyrics "I'm gonna write your girl a letter / It'll make everything better" and it just feels a bit generic. Last song on the album 'Come Down' is another good one, it's a really slow starter (it doesn't really kick in until it's over the 3 minute mark), but well worth the wait.
All in all Ritual finds a band who don't want to repeat past glories and have instead pushed hard to experiment with new ideas and sounds, they've improved alot as musicians in the last two years and vocally there is a vast improvement. Sure, not all songs are quite up to the standard of the last album and the new sound may alienate some fans, but it's a price worth paying for a band that wants to develop and get better at what they do. I recommend this album simply because when it's bad, it's mediocre, but when it's good, it's fantastic.
Check Out:
Is Love
Bigger Than Us
Holy Ghost
The Power & Glory
Avoid:
Turn The Bells
Bad Love
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