White Lies: 'Farewell To The Fairground'

White Lies, as you no doubt have heard, are The Next Big Thing. Hotly-tipped by the broadsheets and music press alike, their debut LP To Lose My Life went straight into the album charts at number one, surprising nobody at all. Their bass-heavy sound, self-consciously dark lyrics and sombre record sleeves have inevitably drawn comparisons to Joy Division, Interpol and Editors, as well as Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes.

Thankfully, and against all expectations, 'Farewell To The Fairground' doesn't sound like a fourth-generation facsimile of a well-worn blueprint. What it does sound a lot like, however, is The Killers. Its selling point is definitely the melody, which combined with some bright chord changes joyfully evokes '80s German pop group Propaganda. The lyrics, however, are a little on the strained side, filled with teenage imagery of broken fairground rides, thawing ice and escape. It's catchy enough stuff, but hard to take entirely seriously.


> Click here to read our review of White Lies' album