After the great "Dead Flowers" struggled its way to #37 on the country charts, it was time for Miranda Lambert to get a new single out, and fast. Like its predecessor, "White Liar" is not without its flaws, but it shows that Miranda is taking a different direction with her work.
The song is fairly mellow and acoustic, beginning with a fairly strong chorus of "Hey, white liar, the truth comes out a little at a time / And it spreads just like a fire, slips off of your tongue like turpentine." The title alone is an interesting hook, even if it doesn't seem to work fully in this situation: white lies are supposed to be harmless, but he's been lying about cheating on her! Furthermore, there's a twist set up at the end that never develops: She says she's been lying too, but about what? Did she forget a verse? Despite those flaws, the song has a solid concept in place, and none of the lyrics feels cliché (sparse as they are), and the turpentine simile in the chorus is especially effective. There's a more artistic feel to the entire song in general, and the melody is quite catchy. Her voice also sounds soft yet emotional.
"White Liar" isn't a great song. However, it shows a sense of growth — a sense to become even more lyrically-oriented than on even her critically-acclaimed first two albums. If the song is flawed, at least it has the feel of an artist who's defiantly doing things her way. This may not be her best work, but at the very least, it's a noble attempt to try for something a little higher.
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