Noah And The Whale - Last Night On Earth (Album Review)
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Written by Hayley Taylor
Noah and the Whale’s career so far reads like a book; a continuing autobiographical account that tracks the naivety, excitement and the plights of youth. Their debut ‘Peaceful The World Lays Me Down’ introduced them as whimsical, innocent and a little twee, whilst the follow up ‘First Days of Spring’ progressed into a realisation that love can actually hit you hard and smash you to pieces.
Their third release completes the story of a guy in his early twenties and produces a coming of age record. The joyful gushing stage has passed, the life changing heartbreak has been experienced and the band’s singer and songwriter, Charlie Fink, has made it through the other side.
This natural evolution has led the band to an album that is bursting with a sense of hope and possibility from the outset. Opening track ‘Life Is Life’ is like the sun rising high after months of grey skies; it exudes optimism and sets up the new direction – “It feels like a new life can start and it feels like heaven”. The track features uplifting gospel vocals which are courtesy of the Waters Sisters who provided backing vocals for Michael Jackson’s ‘Wanna Be Starting Something’.
The songs are less self-reflective this time and tell like stories, with well thought out characters that form pictures in your mind. They are scenic, anthemic and depict vivid images of freedom and positive abandonment. They are big songs for wide open spaces where you can jump for joy and sing at the top of your voice. Charlie has described the songs as capturing: “That feeling that things are happening everywhere except where you are, wondering what’s out there in the wide world. It’s when you’re on a bus. You don’t know where you’re heading, you don’t know what’s at the end of it, and you have this fantasy that whatever’s at the end of it is going to be remarkable and magnificent.”
There is a gentle, mellow power in every track. The songs are more upbeat than the previous album, but less spritely than the first. Lyrically it is poetic, tender and openly beautiful, musically it is stirring, endearing and at times rather fragile. It finishes with the beautifully tranquil ‘Joy’ which closes this phase with the advisory wise words “Forget the things that get away, don’t dream of yesterday”, and then fades into a quiet emptiness leaving you wanting more.
‘Last Night on Earth’ is a progression; a maturation that sees the protagonist moving on from heartbreak with nothing but hope for the future. They sing “You got heart, and you’re going your own way” and for Noah and the Whale this is true both musically and personally. The band has moved on with joyful nostalgia and with no bitterness, just a great album and the acceptance that L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
This natural evolution has led the band to an album that is bursting with a sense of hope and possibility from the outset. Opening track ‘Life Is Life’ is like the sun rising high after months of grey skies; it exudes optimism and sets up the new direction – “It feels like a new life can start and it feels like heaven”. The track features uplifting gospel vocals which are courtesy of the Waters Sisters who provided backing vocals for Michael Jackson’s ‘Wanna Be Starting Something’.
