Skinny teenagers whining about dying?

Two years ago I went to see The Maccabees at Roadmender in Northampton with some friends, and as usual there were support acts (seeing as y'know, it was a gig). One of the support acts was polka performing Jack Penate, who pretty much went on to outdo The Maccabees saleswise ... although soundwise is another story. Before Penate's act were what appeared to be three bored late-teenage boys who went under the guise of Fear of Flying, who were alright I suppose although nothing particularly special. Then Fear of Flying disbanded and six months later, three bored teenagers became three miserable bastards. They were called White Lies. 

Not that being miserable necessarily makes you bad (although with Glasvegas it sure helps), but it doesn't exactly make you a brilliant band to seek out and listen to. But Unfinished Business, their first single, is somewhat blissful. It's like a Sunday morning service being raped by Interpol. And it's not downhill from there - pretty anthemic follow-up single Death made my Top 20 songs of last year with good reason. It's a masterpiece. 

Alas I had high expectations for their album ... expectations which haven't been met. I wasn't exactly sure when it was out (this Monday just so you know) so I'm glad it's being streamed on their MySpace - but it's a very half-and-half album. The two leading singles are undoubtedly two of the strongest, while leading single To Lose My Life is quite weak in my opinion. Harry McVeigh's voice matches the dark lyrical content, but unfortunately is too loud for any of these songs to be particularly haunting. Tracks such as "Fifty on Our Foreheads" are very snoozeworthy. And why isn't the synths guy listed as being an official band member? He seems to be the one doing the majority of the work, there's no way this album would be half as good without his glossy 80s sounds.

But enough with the negatives, To Lose My Life is probably a dead cert for a Mercury nomination and could be fairly deserving based on what other albums our homegrown churn out this year. As well as the singles, album closer "The Price of Love" would sound as spinechilling in an arena as it would at a small Camden venue and is by far the best song on this album. "Farewell to the Fairground" is also a strong track, a leftover from their days as Fear of Flying. There's more good songs than there are bad.

In just under a month I'll be seeing them on the NME Awards Tour and following Florence'll be difficult - but Friendly Fires following them? Either impossible, or a well-needed cheer up.