White Lies - 'Farewell To The Fairground'
Hello, ChartBloggerers!
It occured to me, in the wake of the recent KIG-related language discussion, that perhaps we haven't been clear about how reviews are put together. It may seem like we all sit around a big table, puffing on our pipes* and talking over the top of each song on a big list, and then make the person who likes it the least take it apart with their razor-sharp word-fangs.
Well, let me tell you, this is not the case. Every ChartBlog reviewer tries as hard as they possibly can to love every single song they're asked to cast their ears over, and even when it's apparent that the artist is not prepared to meet us halfway, the aim is weigh up the pros and cons as fairly as possible, before getting the steel reviewing dentures out of the safety cupboard.
(. It's literal!)
Here's a good example of the weighing process:
Reasons Why It Would Be Bad To Slag This Song Off
1: It's always good to support new talent, and White Lies are very much an up and coming band, developing their fanbase, finding like-minded souls and pitching their reverb-drenched '80s doom-rock at them. And by like-minded souls, I mean Editors fans who just can't get enough of portentous lyrics about frost, snow, and previously happy places which are now deserted and sad.
2: Critics are only frustrated musicians anyway. I probably couldn't get up in front of a horde of doom-indie fans and win them round with my epic, frosty sound, so what do I know? Anything bad I might have to say is merely the frustration talking. You know what they say, if you can, do, if you can't, become a critic.
3: What's so wrong with using Joy Division, Interpol and Editors as a musical touchstone anyway? People really like those bands. And if people didn't like White Lies, how come their album got to No.1, eh? Answer me that!
4: It's just further proof that people in the media just love to build people up, so they can smash them down again. If I don't like White Lies, why don't I just stick to my silly Ting Tings records? That's really worthwhile music, I don't think
(Note: This is not true).
Reasons Why It Would Be OK To Slag This Song Off
1: I don't really like it.
2: The end.
There, that was like Doctor Who Confidential or something...
Download: Out now
CD Released: March 23rd
(Fraser McAlpine)
*Don't get excited, the Daily Mail, they're bubble pipes.
Comment number 1.
At 22nd Mar 2009, spirit wrote:Well that was not a valid review was it ?
I gave a really positive comment recently saying how well detailed and informative your reviews were and then what you have written above is how reviews should not be written.
I mean WHITE LIES have worked so hard for the last year have produced a number one album, four great singles.......
DEATH
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
TO LOSE MY LIFE
FAREWELL TO THE FAIRGROUND
and through all the words all you can muster is
"I don't really like it " and gave it three stars.
Anyone could do that but you are way way above that.
RADIO 1 have "A" listed this song so your employers do not agree with you....... and I am sure there are WHITE LIES fans who know how much the band mean to them.
As for JOY DIVISION and INTERPOL THESE BANDS MEAN AN AWFUL LOT TO MANY PEOPLE. "ANTICS " by INTERPOL is one of my most personally favourite albums and JOY DIVISION are one of the most influential bands that England have produced .
PLEASE PLEASE from now on can we have professional objective reviews on each artist not just five words and a star rating.. That is so lame... and the music fans that read this deserve so much more than that.
MUSIC IS GREAT.
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Comment number 2.
At 22nd Mar 2009, spirit wrote:Things I like about this song.
The intro guitar line.
THE drumming is wicked on this track.
A memorable chorus with power chords and I like the way the bass comes in on the chorus.
I like the "no place like home " bridge into the last chorus.
I find this song strangely uplifting and a definite highlight from the album.
Any more WHITE LIES fans out there ?
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Comment number 3.
At 22nd Mar 2009, Oliviaaa987 wrote:Meeeeee, I'm a White Lies fan :D
Takes me straight back to my early childhood listening to my dad's doom-indie vinyls.
Plus, sometimes, a bit of doom indie is just what the doctor ordered. I'd rather listen to a bit o' White Lies when I'm feeling down than Celine Dion. Any day.
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Comment number 4.
At 22nd Mar 2009, -RachelS- wrote:Thing is, it sounds like they're trying to be 'epic' when they haven't got anything epic to say.
The lyrics are vague and empty of any personality (and the rhymes are forced, to my ears).
It's as if they've just put together a string of 'epic-type' song ingredients with no focus.
It ends up as the song-equivalent of a (grey) patchwork quilt - lots of meaningless scraps which only look like a whole from a distance.
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Comment number 5.
At 22nd Mar 2009, hackerjack wrote:RADIO 1 have "A" listed this song so your employers do not agree with you
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Errr no. radio 1 will list songs that they think will be popular, it has nothing to do with either being good or whether they like them or not personally.
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Mar 2009, spirit wrote:I largely think RADIO 1 get it right when doing their A B and C LISTS.
Luckily they don't always A LIST songs that are popular.... otherwise we would be hearing THE CRAZY FROG all day long.
There are many many songs that RADIO 1 have A or B LISTED that on release have not made the TOP 40.
I think there must be a criteria that gets a song an A listing .... it must be relevant , contemperary , connect with a large audience , have commercial appeal , be able to move an audience and generate interest and mostly be a good song. This can be interpreted in many ways.... after all music tastes are different.
Is it possible that someone from RADIO 1 can explain the listings procedure ... it would generate a lot of interest.....
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Comment number 7.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Playlist info: Here you go.
Professional Reviews: You've missed an important thing, which is that reviews have to be subjective, not objective. Otherwise they would just be a list of the musical sounds which are available in each song. Objective music reviewers would see equal value in the best and worst songs ever made.
And I would also like to add that I didn't just write "I don't really like it" and put a star rating.
In fact, let's do a wordsearch. Print out this page and put a circle around the following descriptive terms.
"portentous lyrics about frost, snow, and previously happy places which are now deserted and sad"
"reverb-drenched '80s doom-rock"
"epic, frosty sound"
"using Joy Division, Interpol and Editors as a musical touchstone"
All that other stuff was bonus material. And now you've got a free wordsearch! You should be thanking me! With GIFTS!
(note: Ignore that last bit. I'm a bit sun-strokey today)
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Comment number 8.
At 23rd Mar 2009, spirit wrote:Thanks for the playlist info......... really interesting..... and thanks for the free wordsearch.... talk about bonus material !!
I cannot decide onyour gift though...... would you like ENRIQUE IGLESIAS'S greatest hits or the WHITE LIES ALBUM ?
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Comment number 9.
At 23rd Mar 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:/london/content/articles/2006/12/04/londoncalling_fearofflying_feature.shtml
Interesting this is a link to the band that White Lies formed out of. Making me question just how manufactured White Lies actually are.
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Comment number 10.
At 23rd Mar 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Oh definitely White Lies. They're not so bad really.
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Comment number 11.
At 29th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 12.
At 30th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:OK HERES THE PG VERSION OF THE LAST MESSAGE !!!!
WHITE LIES ARE NUMBER 34 ....... .....................................................................5 stars FOR DOOM ROCK !!!!!
"sits back smugly " lol
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