Judging by his songwriting history, LA based multi-instrumentalist Axel Mansoor is no stranger to heartbreak. But hurt has never felt as raw as on “White Lies”, the newest acoustic single from Mansoor’s upcoming Somerset EP. Fresh off an Emmy nomination for his work General Hospital, the new five-track EP is entirely self-produced and recorded in his bedroom.
A sweetly sad guitar riff with a raw edge starts off the song on a wary note. Enter Axel Mansoor’s smooth and velvety voice, lamenting putting too much trust in someone he knew better than to trust. The guitar melody glides lightly counter to Mansoor’s passionate but subtly biting croon. Mansoor sings, “You and I should never have been together. But I ignored the signs and let myself be weakened to your white lies.” Love can blind us all sometimes, and I think we’ve all been there before. That’s what makes what he’s saying completely heart-wrenching, almost like he’s furiously strumming right on my own heartstrings, circa the last relationship that didn’t work out.
There’s a point in the song, where it sounds as though the emotion switches from sorrow and heartache to a certain kind of resentment. The guitar isn’t as sweet anymore, instead it’s a choppy and rough strumming that reflects the hard feelings of being lied to. He sings “But what’s gone round will come back round and leave you with a broken heart,” and the impassioned guitar solo that follows feels critical, like a turning point where heartbreak borders on bitterness.
The Somerset EP, named for the street where it was recorded, is out June 15th. Until then, try not to cry while listening to this song for the 100th time, remembering every white lie your exes told you.
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