White Lies - Farewell To The Fairground

Hype can be a dangerous thing. Remember the furore surrounding The Twang and their particular brand of insomniac-curing lads’ music, only for them to all but disappear after one single? Well, according to sod’s law White Lies could be joining them soon- they’ve had more NME column inches of late than Pete Doherty’s inane ramblings- but are they good enough to survive the inevitable backlash?

‘Farewell To The Fairground’ is the band’s third nostalgia-tinged single, and by now we’ve come to known their post-punk formula pretty well. It’s all military precision drumming, gloomy lyrics and lingering keyboards - but while it’s somewhat predictable, it manages to seperate itself from previous efforts. This is White Lies’ very own ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ moment - bold but understated until the crucial midway point, when the synthesisers soar and an uplifting, hopeful refrain transports us to daydreams about summer festivals and veritable world peace. You should expect a slap around the head if you’re bold enough to compare them to the majesty of Joy Division, but White Lies have certainly found a winning formula - one huge chorus at a time.