By Monica Pizzo
On Wed., Feb. 1, White Lies will be playing at 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on their tour for their newest album, Friends. The British post-punk trio’s new album mixes ’80s punk influences with smooth vocals and new age synth-pop beats. Their deep and capturing sound should not be missed.
The trio comes from London, taking many influences from the post-punk scene there. They manage to create incredibly unique sounds while taking sonic guide from bands such as Joy Division and The Cure.
The band formed in 2004 while the members were attending school in West London. They swapped their original name, Fear of Flying, for their new label in 2006 when their sound changed from neo-Brit-pop to their current tone.
Their career took off in 2008 following their release of “Unfinished Business” and “Death,” a more somber sound compared to their past tracks. They went on their first headlining tour of the U.K. that year and released their first full length album, To Lose My Life…, the next year.
After this, the band continued on to a world tour, playing festivals and joining Muse on their stadium tour. They released their second album, Ritual, in 2011, which hit No. 3 in the U.K. and held fourteenth on the Billboard Top Alternative Album chart.
In 2013, they released their album Big TV after a short tour hiatus. The album hit No. 3 on the U.K. album charts. And now, after three years, the band has released their newest album, Friends.
This album epitomizes the group’s unique sound. Singer and lead guitarist Harry McVeigh’s deep and powerful voice loans the band a smooth tone. Bassist and lyricist Charles Cave uses ’80s influences to create a bop to their sound, while drummer and keyboardist Jack Lawrence-Brown adds the post-punk flare with heavy drums. The synth keyboarding furthers their ’80s influenced sound, meshing the past with the present.
Each member works together to make their newest album the embodiment of their ’80s style. Heavy use of synthesized keyboard, deep bass and McVeigh’s smooth voice come together to create a dreamscape of an album. Friends is a wondrous and boppy album that makes you want to dance and dream at the same time.
Their show at 9:30 Club on Feb. 1 will not be one to miss. To experience their newest album, click here for tickets.
Featured Photo Credit: Feature photo courtesy of White Lies on Facebook.
Monica Pizzo is a freshman journalism major and can be reached at mpizzo@terpmail.umd.edu.
