Genre
rock
Publisher
New West Records
External Links
- Official Website
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True inspiration doesn't come from a completely new idea, it usually is borne of limitations and a new take on something already done. Same goes with music, as many of the new bands these days rarely try something new, rather they just build upon some old music that once was proven successful, and adding their own take on a once retired format. Nic Armstrong heard something he liked, and applied it to his own work, making The Greatest White Liar both retro and new.
Taking a cue from the Raveonettes and other 50's and 60's loving bands, Nic Armstrong listened to Nuggets-era garage bands, early Rolling Stones, and added some blues for his hyper debut CD The Greatest White Liar. A combination of the song and recording quality at first glance may confuse a listener thinking they're listening to some moldy oldy (like "On a Promise" and "I'll Come to You"), but there are enough tracks on here to reveal it belongs in this millennium.
Armstrong occasionally has some Jack White yelps that has more than a passing similarity, the melding of that yelp and old school blues could make the band a White Stripes wannabe, if the Stripes tried hard to make pop hits. Usually Armstrong is putting some Ray Davies pain in each lyric, adding to a momentarily time lapse of the listener.
The best song of the lot that combines all the good on this album is "Broken Mouth Blues," a "Boogie With Stu"-type send up that is both uniquely new and retro. Played regularly on MTV2's "Subterranean" program earlier this year, it's a great slice of what the band can accomplish when on target with their frenetic pacing and reckless melodies.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album pales in comparison to that song. Aside from the swaying "Down Home Girl," the rest of the album loses that magic and laments in quieter and more melodic numbers that don't accomplish much. That, and an album that actually has too many songs, brings The Greatest White Liar down a rating. With the success of other backward looking bands, it seems that Armstrong and The Thieves will still have an opportunity to bring their brand of retro-garage rock to appreciative masses.
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