White Lies’ first album was impressive, debuting at number one in the UK album charts following its release in 2009. An interesting mix of Editors- and Killers-style indie with 80s Joy Division pop, the group scored hits with the (ironically) uplifting ‘Death’, and the infectious ‘To Lose a Life’. Their second full length album remains very much within the same indie/80s formula, yet in spite of some inspired studio production and expressive textures, Ritual lags in places. McVeigh’s voice is not to everyone’s taste – it might be considered rather a ‘love it or hate it’ kind of voice – but if you like the sound of Ian Curtis (Joy Division), you will appreciate this.
‘Is Love’ opens the album on a high, after a few deceptively bland few opening minutes of whiny synths and plodding drums are revitalised by the introduction of a turntable, breathing new life into the song. From there a steady layering of instruments brings the song to a powerfully dense finale. Following on from this is the album’s first single ‘Bigger than Us’, demonstrating the catchy songwriting familiar from ‘To Lose a Life’; here McVeigh hits his highest notes on the album with ease. ‘Peace and Quiet’ is an oddity: while not instantly catchy, it features some wonderful contrasts between spacey synths and conventional guitar work, building to a peak but mysteriously fading out to leave only the background tracks playing for considerably too long. This song captures the more spatial ambience of the first half of this album.
‘Streetlight’ marks the beginning of the second-half lag. Reminiscent of the melody from Joy Division’s ‘Love Won’t Tear Us Apart Again’, it is at this point that the novelty provided by the 80s-inspired style begins to wear thin. ‘Holy Ghost’ provides a brief return to a fantastic slice of softcore rave-rock, but the remainder of the album does not offer up anything new, and ‘Come Down’ leaves one feeling rather as if the band has, by this point, drifted off to sleep.
There is much to enjoy on this album, especially if you appreciated ‘To Lose a Life’. Yet despite some fantastic moments, this is not, regrettably, as slick as their debut.
