I do actually have a serious point to this review (though my terrible attempt at a pun might have put you off), and that is that I find people in general are very difficult to please.
The same band that can be branded an exemplary indie-rock sound, can also be scolded for its lack of originality. Alas, not every band that comes along can be ground breaking. White Lies, whilst they may smack strongly of the likes of Joy Division, Interpol, Editors and so on, nevertheless have put their own unique spin on this branch of darker post-punk scene music.
I'd say the closest comparrison I've heard is that they sound similar to the early Editors albums; both with strong barritone led vocals, earworm guitar riffs, angsty laden melacholic lyrics. The comparrison is a good one, and entirely complementary. I also love the heavy base-led melody to most of the songs, makes the album very satisfying to play at high volume with a good set of speakers built to cope with a pounding bass guitar!
The album itself, I must say, pleasantly suprised me. I had heard the singles, and loved them. Bought the album on a whim, but I confess with little hope. I figured they'd fall into the pit fall like so many over-hyped indie rock bands, great singles but not enough to say to fill an album! However this is not the case, these boys have plenty to say, often in a suprisingly dark way! And the album is not lacking in content; along with the singles, my favourite tracks are "Place To Hide", "EST" with it's fabulous 80s nostalgia, and "Fifty on our Foreheads". But by far the strongest songs of the album have already been released as singles, and make for spectacularly catchy, sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-voice listening!
I personally give the album 4/5, simply based on the number of songs I can listen to without skipping, and despite the good number of high points, some songs (in particular my least favourite "Nothing to Give") seem to lose their way a bit and lose momentum. Nevertheless, an ear-catching debut, and certaintly worth a listen if you want to explore the darker side of indie a bit more!