Little White Lies (Dig)

Fastball | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 14, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red Distribution
• ASIN: B001TD1XXK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,840 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Best known for their 1998 smashes THE WAY and OUT OF MY HEAD, Fastball return with its fifth album LITTLE WHITE LIES. The album showcases the melodic songwriting and Vilcan mind meld harmonies that have become the band's trademark. They bring the rock on trippy numbers like ALWAYS NEVER and explore new styles with the super danceable title track. THE MALCONTENT is a jangly Simon & Garfunkel type meditation on modern life and SOUL RADIO closes the album with a beautiful counterpoint between lead singers Miles Zuniga and Tony Scalzo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All I Was Looking For Was.....this album!, April 14, 2009

By 

Nate L. (Michigan, U.S.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little White Lies (Dig) (Audio CD)

This is honestly one of the best albums I have ever heard. I've been a fan of Fastball since the late 90's when The Way was on the radio and have been listening ever since, following the band still during their independent stage. Despite many people losing track of this great band, they remain one of my favorites, with great albums that are also among my favorites. This album is no exception. Here's a breakdown:

1.) ALL I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS YOU-A great opener that vocally starts out great and pulls you right in. Also has a piano/organ part right after the line "some marry for money" that I really like.
2.) ALWAYS NEVER-A trippy number with a great chorus. Love the "come on, come on, come on, come on"'s.
3.)THE MODERN WORLD-Besides being a very good song, this also manages to have something to say about the world and some of the people in it. Great addition.
4.)LITTLE WHITE LIES-The title track and a nice tune. I could see this as a single but it's not nearly a high point; that comes later.....
5.)MONO TO STEREO-This is such a great song. Quite possibly the best Miles has ever done. I just absolutely love it. It just plain jams. The title being love song lyrics in audio terms. Excellent. It definitely hooks you.
6.)HOW DID I GET HERE?-A slower little Tony ditty that grows on you.
7.)WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS (EVERYDAY ALL OF THE TIME)-Fantastic! Right up there with MONO TO STEREO for me. A little rock mixed with the pop. The guitar is great in this one as well. Miles can really write 'em.
8.)ANGELIE-I don't really know how to describe this one. Almost sounds experimental. It has a French vibe to it with what sounds like an accordion. It will grow on you, and I really like how this album has songs like this that aren't instantly recognizable.
9.)SHE'S GOT THE RAIN-Another one that could be a single. Shouldn't be, because there are better, but this is easy listening at its best.
10.)RAMPART STREET-This is classic Tony Scalzo and I love it. Reminds me of so many great songs by Tony encompassed in slightly over two minutes of greatness. Also reminds me a little of The Beatles for some reason. Classic.
11.)WHITE NOISE-More of a rocker with heavier guitars. Just another great addition among greats.
12.)SOUL RADIO-Starts with a scream/yell from what sounds like Tony, then goes right into the piano, which is a transition I love. Some of the lyrics are a little trippy, such as the line "no one knows.....which way the wind is gonna blow my mind" and in the chorus: "I feel like I'm floating out in space". A great closer to one of the greatest albums ever.

It's an absolute pleasure to have this and to have followed the band this far. I'm glad I've stuck with them. To newcomers, give this a shot, you may just discover some of the best music out there. Yet, sadly, and this must be said, some of the most overshadowed and overlooked, as many have written this band off and have forgotten about them. Well spread the word, because this album is definitely worth so much more attention than it will get. It's simple, yet very well written material that does exactly what it needs to. It rocks when it needs to rock, slows down when it needs to slow down, and surprises you while occasionally even having something to say amidst just plain jamming. All of that combined is exactly what makes this album the exceptional piece of work that it is. I cannot praise it enough. Thank you Fastball!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Record, April 15, 2009

By 

Kelly Fischer (Taylor, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little White Lies (Dig) (Audio CD)

I don't write a lot of reviews. Only when something really moves me do I find it necessary for me to tell the world about it.

This record has certainly done its job.

I've spent a lot of time listening to the live versions of these songs in their various stages. Almost every one has been my favorite at any given time, and I'm confident that the ones that haven't yet will be my favorites eventually. "Little White Lies:" the gift that keeps on giving!

For example, it took me a while to appreciate "All I Was Looking For Was You." I don't know why, but it just didn't grab me the first few times. Then one day it just exploded in my head. This is definitely one of the best Fastball songs ever.

"Mono to Stereo" is still a big favorite, especially for the lyrics. "When I heard her voice, she gave me vertigo." What a picture that paints!

I love "White Noise." Definitely the "heaviest" song on the album, the rush of guitar and drums together is just amazing.

"The Malcontent (The Modern World)" really does have that Simon and Garfunkel feel. (Which is great for me because I love Simon and Garfunkel.) It's just such a great song, and one I'm finding I can relate a lot to. This and "Always Never" are very different for the band (moreso the latter), but both succeed in the best ways.

I don't think I can say anything about "Soul Radio" that hasn't been said better already. It's just so right.

Musically, this is the best Fastball has ever been. There's something great about all the previous records, and each has been better than the one before it, so it's really no surprise that this album turned out so fantastic, but I think it's mostly the collaboration between Miles and Tony that's responsible for the success of Little White Lies.

Miles, Tony, and Joey: thank you for producing such a fine album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliance, April 15, 2009

By 

Jose A. Salinas "texasyesfan" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little White Lies (Dig) (Audio CD)

I was going to write a long review with my impressions of this great new release from Fastball, but "wiggies" above summed it up quite nicely. I will just add my thoughts on a couple of tracks.

"Always Never" was my early favorite from this collection of outstanding songs. The driving rhythm established early on by electric piano and acoustic guitar carries the song through several changes, including a detour into psychedelia featuring Joseph Shuffield on violin and some pretty trippy vocals from Scalzo and Zuniga, then a sudden change in key to pull you back to reality. It's hard to believe all this happens in a span of barely three minutes, but they pull it off admirably.

"Soul Radio" is perhaps the standout track on this album. With a strong piano part as the base and intertwining lead vocals backed by rich harmony vocals, backwards piano riffs, and Joey Shuffield's dynamic drumming segueing into Scalzo's plaintive vocal solo and culminating in a cacophony of piano, violin and vocals -- well, it has to be heard to be appreciated.

As pointed out, the real strength of this album is the team approach taken by songwriters/musicians Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga. Nine of the twelve songs were co-written by the pair (with some help here and there). Both of them, however, also brought a "solo piece" to the project, adding a whole different dimension to the album.

"How Did I Get Here" is a slow, melancholy piece lamenting a love lost. Written and originally recorded by Sclazo for one of his solo projects a couple of years ago, it has been reworked with the addition of Zuniga's perfect backing vocals and additional guitars, transforming a really good song into a great one.

"Angelie" is the wild card on this record. The one song that was never played live until just a couple of weeks before the release date, it represents a real departure from the expected "power-pop" formula. With its rhumba beat, undulating bass line, quirky accordion and backing vibes, Zuniga's song about infatuation quickly became one of my favorites on this disc.

From start to finish, "Little White Lies" sounds fresh and new. Every song is a gem; there are no "throwaways" here. This truly is Fastball's greatest effort to date. One can only hope there will be much more to come from these guys.