Wednesday 26/11/08 White Lies @ KOKO, London

Dressed in black, White Lies deliver their colossal breed of bitter-sweet songs with precision and a sincerity that means not even a smile is cracked among the faces on stage... for their entire set. Of course there's much for these three West London boys (and their live keyboardist) to celebrate tonight having sold out  KOKO and a string of other venues on their recent UK tour, but for now the smiles come only from the crowd as they embrace the band’s sombre beauty and revel in the tones of new single, To Lose My Life with all the jollity of a wake. In a good way of course.  

In a theatrical performance, 'Unfinished Business' is brought slowly to life like an audio-book due to the trio’s big-band sound which fills every inch of the venue like an inflating balloon. Though there’s a morbid thread that weaves through their anthems, the panoramic effect of White Lies’ sound is undeniably uplifting, as singer Harry McVeigh hollers with a maturity and weight far beyond his years, evoking all the 80s supergroups to which White Lies have been compared, Simple Minds, Tears For Fears, and the Teardrop Explodes to name but a few.

With ringing guitars and big beats, The Price Of Love is less of a ballad and more of a fist-wielding stomper which ends in a blitz of instruments. Most bands would finish there but Harry takes a moment to thank the audience before the resonating guitars continue with Death, which acknowledges their Fear of Flying days lyrically but sees them fade almost instantly as they are buried below the crowd’s sing-a-long when the poignancy takes over.

Given their recent live successes, and that they are only just releasing their third single, it appears there’s much for White Lies to look forward to, inevitably conquer and even cheer about.