Noah and The Whale have made quite a name for themselves on the indie-circuit as of late. ‘Twee’ is a word often used to describe their own specific brand of romantic anti-folk: a description hardly surprising when debut album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down boasts a ukulele, hand-claps, trembling violin strings, romantic folk tales, whistling, a cowbell and fellow anti-folk artist Laura Marling on backing vocals.
Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is a collection of simple and uplifting songs about love, death and time. Penned and demoed in dark bedrooms in Twickenham and Manchester this album is anything but dark. Despite tales of awkward and isolated love, the melodies are instantly uplifting and reassuring.
Album opener ‘2 Atoms in a Molecule’ is a cheery, clap-along ditty that addresses the actually fearful concept of being alone. It seems to be a new, more invigorating take on a previous single of theirs ‘2 Bodies, 1 Heart’ as vocalist Charlie Fink repeats the lines “like two atoms in molecule/Inseparably combined.”
‘Rocks and Daggers’ provided a faultless combination of striking minimalist vocals and instrumentals building into an energetic foot-tapping climax. And while ‘Mary’ is not such an instant, feel good song; it has actually become one of my favourite tracks on the record. Laura Marling’s subtle backing vocals give weight to Fink’s lyrics as they describe a failing relationship. “She tried to kiss me and I said don’t bother/ You know we don’t really love one another,” sings Fink over the delicate glockenspiel and lightly strummed ukulele.
‘Give a Little Love’ is instantly catchy, as the drums, hand-claps, guitar and trembling violin crescendo towards the epic chorus that has Charlie and Laura singing, “If you give a little love/ You can get a little love of your own.” Fink’s carefully crafted lyrics make the simplest sentiment seem like a revelation, as he encourages us to enjoy this fleeting life. Single ‘5 Years Time’ opens with eminently catchy whistling; calypso-esque ukulele strums follow as Fink begins to tell of what might happen to a relationship over the course of 5 years. They could be walking around a zoo, or laughing at each others’ “silly little jokes,” or of cause the whole things could go horribly wrong, but that’s way too negative for a song that repeats the word “love” 38 times and seems to cause an instant flow of serotonin into the brain.
Peaceful, The World the Lays Me Down is an instrumentally diverse debut, but it retains a beautiful simplicity that makes these romantic Londoners so loveable. Noah and the Whale may not be for those who turn away in disgust at all things cute and twee, but just one listen will instantly put a smile on anyone’s face.
86%
Links
Noah and The Whale [myspace]
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August 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Brilliant album, but it’s got absolutely nothing on how they sound live, still, I definitely agree with everything said.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
To borrow a quote from my other half - “Five Years Time” = this year’s “Young Folk”? Discuss…
August 8th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“To borrow a quote from my other half - “Five Years Time” = this year’s “Young Folk”? Discuss…”
well they’ve both got whistling in them so i guess so! i think peter bjorn and john have made whistling cool again you know? but no one whistles like peter, he’s the master.
i think all in all 5 years time is a better song than young folks. but peter bjorn and john hold the trump card on their production. i love their ’sound’. plus it features victoria bergsman and not laura ’snotty face’ marling. i also have a major crush on victoria so actually ill change my mind and say i prefer young folks.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
wasnt expecting to like this, but somehoe seem to keep playing it. A more polished pop version of herman dune. If i was david ivar and andre I would be looking at the press these guys are getting and wondering how it didnt get bigger for me last year.
five years time vs i wish that i could see you soon……would be better than vs young folks.
But then i prefer the peter moren stuff- Writers block left me a bit cold, and im one who loves a bit of the swedish stuff.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
i wasn’t that impressed with them live. although, i HAVE only seen them once and for the whole time Kevin Drew from BSS was standing right behind me. so i was probably concentrating more on that. i do recall ‘5 Years Time’ giving me tingles though.
i like the album a lot. it IS a little bit too cutesy in places so i find myself dipping into random tracks rather than listening to the whole thing in one sitting.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I agree Rich, I saw them live yeesterday and was really disapppointed. They didn’t get their sound sorted til 3 songs in (and they only played 6 songs), and generally I just found them a bit lacklustre. I am now torn whether to buy the album or not!
August 20th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Great album but please please please stop calling them anti-folk and twee!!! Alt-folk or new-folk will do if you have to. And twee is a horrible word.
August 31st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
But she didn’t call them twee… And anyway, it describes them perfectly…..