What makes Unfinished Business by White Lies notable?

The single arrived shortly after To Lose My Life... entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, bringing the band’s death-haunted take on post-punk to a broad audience. The Guardian’s review of the debut helped place White Lies within the late-2000s British appetite for dark, arena-sized guitar music. Released in March 2009, this single followed White Lies’ debut album, To Lose My Life..., which had arrived that January. It revisited a song the London trio had released in 2008, pairing it here with a B-side and live recordings.

How many songs are on Unfinished Business?

Unfinished Business has 4 tracks, running approximately 16 minutes.

Unfinished Business

White Lies · 2009

16 min · 4 tracks · post-punk revival

Funereal post-punk builds into towering choruses beneath Harry McVeigh’s grave baritone.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Unfinished Business — Its ghostly confrontation and swelling chorus establish the single’s blend of gothic storytelling and expansive post-punk drama.
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You Still Love Him — The B-side turns from supernatural confrontation toward a more intimate romantic predicament, offering a different angle on the band’s early writing.
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From the Stars (live) — This live reading of a To Lose My Life... track gives the single a glimpse of how the debut’s widescreen arrangements translated to the stage.
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Unfinished Business (live) — Hearing the title song again in performance puts its chorus and McVeigh’s theatrical delivery in a different setting from the studio version.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

57 /100

Foothills

Higher than 6% of albums we've rated

The EP showcases strong rhythmic elements but loses cohesion with live tracks that disrupt its flow.

What we noticed

The first two tracks feature a consistent driving rhythm with layered synths, creating a sense of urgency.
The live tracks at the end differ significantly in energy and arrangement from the studio versions, altering the overall flow of the EP.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 5/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 6/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 4/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Breakthrough — This EP marked the band's transition to broader recognition after their debut single.
Themes: unresolved emotions· post-punk urgency
Career context: Released in March 2009, this single followed White Lies’ debut album, To Lose My Life..., which had arrived that January. It revisited a song the London trio had released in 2008, pairing it here with a B-side and live recordings.
Stylistic neighbors: Interpol· Editors· The National

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Moments worth listening for

Where the writing does something specific.

Unfinished Business

A dead speaker directly accuses the person being addressed of responsibility for the death.

The accusation turns the song’s supernatural premise into a confrontation, giving its chorus the force of an unresolved encounter.