Self-released
An across-the-board mix of songs from a promising alternative pop/rock band.

Words Are All We Have, the first full-length album from (www.beautifullies.net) Beautiful Lies, encompasses a variety of styles and moods. One of this band’s strong points is the fact that three of their four members wrote songs on the album. While at times the order and placement of the songs feels a little odd, the diversity from Beautiful Lies is also something to be appreciated.
           
            The album opens with the laid-back intro “20/40,” which is light on instrumentation but loaded with lovely vocal harmonies. The song’s only drawback is its brevity. Towards the end of the album, however, this song is extended and added to in its partner “Twenty Forty.”
           
            The opener launches into the much more up tempo and rock-oriented “Cold.” The highlight of this song is definitely the easy-to-remember chorus, where the repetition of lyrics is not at all dull – it’s catchy.

            “All Because of You” is a cute pop-rock ditty that also boasts a catchy chorus. What is a little strange about it, however, is that it is immediately followed by the stinging and angry “Stay Away.” But even if the juxtaposition doesn’t quite work, “Stay Away” continues to show the band’s eclecticism. There is a very fast, danceable chorus that is unlike the rest of the album, and the use of synthesizers adds another unique touch.

            “Same Things” is a little sparse in the beginning, but it really picks up when the vocal harmonies enter. When the group asks, “Why do I worry about the same things?” I have to agree that the inquiry is a valid one. “Save Yourself” is an energetic rock song that drives forward and builds momentum very well. It transitions to “We Belong in Love,” which is a little cheesy, but adorably peppy at the same time.

            One of the standout songs on Words Are All We Have is the ballad “Preparing to Leave,” which has a well-paced development leading to an epic feeling towards its conclusion. The album closes with “The Rain,” a reflective, slower-paced song that fades out in the end. This doesn’t quite match the rest of the album, but “The Rain” is a pretty and meditative song nonetheless. Overall, Words Are All We Have is stylistically far-reaching, but shows that Beautiful Lies has great promise. Beautiful Lies is currently on tour in Europe.