Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
White Lies' third studio album, 2013's Big TV, finds the band building upon the darkly anthemic sound of their first two albums with an added songwriting maturity. After touring almost non-stop in support of 2009's To Lose My Life and 2011's Ritual, White Lies took almost a two-year break to recoup and rethink their direction before heading back into the studio to record Big TV. The time off seems to have worked, as the trio of lead singer/guitarist Harry McVeigh, bassist Charles Cave, and drummer Jack Brown, along with producer Ed Buller -- who also co-produced the band’s debut -- have crafted a handful of highly literate, single-worthy tracks that still evince their love of moody, '80s post-punk. Admittedly, the album sprawls to some degree; there are two instrumental interludes. It's as if, after taking a break, White Lies felt compelled to try and get all of their pent-up ideas out onto the table. Thankfully, many of their ideas work. In many ways, Big TV has all of the characteristics White Lies fans have come to expect from them including driving post-punk beats, evocative guitar lines, chilly synth parts, and McVeigh's prophetic baritone croon. Impossibly, they sound even more engaged and clear-eyed than on the ambitious, stylized Ritual. With that album, White Lies seemed to put a song's overall production sound ahead of the song. The opposite is true with Big TV, and songs like the title track and the poignant ballad "Change" are deeply moving, emotionally resonant songs that still retain all of White Lies' penchant for arid, '70s sci-fi movie-inspired atmosphere. Also engaging are several euphoria-inducing tracks like sparkling lead single "There Goes Our Love Again" and the sweepingly romantic, orchestral synthesizer-tinged "First Time Caller." Elsewhere, White Lies dive headlong into the deep sea electro-disco of the Giorgio Moroder-inspired "Get Even," and lift our hearts cloud-ward with the pulsing Echo and the Bunnymen-esque dance-rocker "Be Your Man." Ultimately, with Big TV, White Lies combine the urgent passions of their debut with the conceptual ambitions of their sophomore effort for an engaging, far-reaching epic.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $16.65/month
Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
White Lies, MainArtist - Max Knight, Producer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Mark 'Spike' Stent, MixingEngineer - Charles Cave, Composer - Harry McVeigh, Composer - White Lies, MainArtist - Ed Buller, Producer - Jack Lawrence-Brown, Composer
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Album review
White Lies' third studio album, 2013's Big TV, finds the band building upon the darkly anthemic sound of their first two albums with an added songwriting maturity. After touring almost non-stop in support of 2009's To Lose My Life and 2011's Ritual, White Lies took almost a two-year break to recoup and rethink their direction before heading back into the studio to record Big TV. The time off seems to have worked, as the trio of lead singer/guitarist Harry McVeigh, bassist Charles Cave, and drummer Jack Brown, along with producer Ed Buller -- who also co-produced the band’s debut -- have crafted a handful of highly literate, single-worthy tracks that still evince their love of moody, '80s post-punk. Admittedly, the album sprawls to some degree; there are two instrumental interludes. It's as if, after taking a break, White Lies felt compelled to try and get all of their pent-up ideas out onto the table. Thankfully, many of their ideas work. In many ways, Big TV has all of the characteristics White Lies fans have come to expect from them including driving post-punk beats, evocative guitar lines, chilly synth parts, and McVeigh's prophetic baritone croon. Impossibly, they sound even more engaged and clear-eyed than on the ambitious, stylized Ritual. With that album, White Lies seemed to put a song's overall production sound ahead of the song. The opposite is true with Big TV, and songs like the title track and the poignant ballad "Change" are deeply moving, emotionally resonant songs that still retain all of White Lies' penchant for arid, '70s sci-fi movie-inspired atmosphere. Also engaging are several euphoria-inducing tracks like sparkling lead single "There Goes Our Love Again" and the sweepingly romantic, orchestral synthesizer-tinged "First Time Caller." Elsewhere, White Lies dive headlong into the deep sea electro-disco of the Giorgio Moroder-inspired "Get Even," and lift our hearts cloud-ward with the pulsing Echo and the Bunnymen-esque dance-rocker "Be Your Man." Ultimately, with Big TV, White Lies combine the urgent passions of their debut with the conceptual ambitions of their sophomore effort for an engaging, far-reaching epic.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 22 track(s)
- Total length: 01:01:45
- Main artists: White Lies
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: [PIAS] Recordings Catalogue
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK) 2013 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.