White Lies @ Mercury Lounge: Fear's Got A Hold On Me
Tonight was hotly-tipped UK band White Lies' New York debut. They were stunning -- stun-ning. A fantastic first look of what I think will be a major force when people come to. It's part of the Music Snobbery ideal -- catch a band before they breakthrough, then tell people, "Yeah, I saw them before they became popular."
The setlist:
- A Place To Hide
- Unfinished Business
- Fairground
- To Lose My Life
- EST
- Stars
- Death
From a music stand point, they are really strong for an�upstart band. They have a dramatic, dark power that is reminiscent of Echo & The Bunnymen and a little bit of that epic quality that Muse taps into. I was impressed with how they evoked such great emotion on a small stage. I can imagine what they'll be like on a large stage. They are going to blow people's minds.
What I was itching to hear were their others songs beyond Unfinished Business and Death. A Place To Hide is a sprawling dirge where they hang their hearts on their sleeves. It peaked my curiosity on what their debut album will deliver. From what I know, it should be released by year's end in the U.S. on Geffen.
I will say that the band on stage looked pretty timid and nervous. It's that, "Oh, shit. There are a bunch of music people here. We better be good." They barely registered a smile or small talk. Lead singer Harry McVeigh had two things to say, "Hello, New York. We're White Lies from England" and "Thank you, this is our last song. We'll see you in October."
I can't emphasize more how much you'll take to this band. For the ladies (or men), Harry is easy on the eyes. He's not going to be some flamboyant rock star type, but rather a morose, sullen fellow on stage. His voice is so deep and rich, you can feel the pain coming through it.
They'll make their way onto my Top 5 New Acts of 2008 for the fact they pact a lot of artistry into the songs. The highs are never too high and lows never too low, but that contrast within the songs make them so interesting.
Found video for DEATH on Youtube and loved the song!! Can't wait to hear more about them and have the album release in the US.
Posted by: Eliza | August 28, 2008 at 10:23 PM