On The First Days of Spring, Charlie Fink mourned the absence of ex-girlfriend/ex-bandmate Laura Marling while the rest of Noah & the Whale churned up a sympathetic mix of folk and sad-eyed indie rock. Released two years later, Last Night on Earth finds the band recharged and redirected. "He used to be somebody, now he's someone else. and it feels like heaven," Fink sings on the opening track, a tribute to transformation that doubles as the album's mission statement. Although released during the golden days of England's indie folk scene, Last Night on Earth reaches far beyond the genre, relying heavily on keyboards and leaving the acoustic riffage to Mumford & Sons. Some of the basslines are synthesized instead of plucked, and some of the percussion is programmed instead of played. At times, the band appears single-minded in its determination to turn over a new rock, and the album suffers whenever Last Night on Earth focuses on presentation -- the polished production, the overdubbed handclaps -- instead of content. But those moments are few and far between. Noah & the Whale sound genuinely happy to be exploring a new direction, and tracks like "Tonight's the Kind of Night" fuse the Arcade Fire's chest-swelling anthems with smart, radio-ready sensibilities. On "Wild Thing," Fink proves he can still wring some serious mileage out of melancholy, too, delivering a Matt Berninger-like vocal over synths and lonely guitar lines. ~ Andrew Leahey
Professional Reviews
Spin (p.79) - "Pairing dreamy synths and tight riffs, the result is confident and exhilarating, especially on 'Give It All Back'..."
Format:
CD
Country:
USA
UPC:
0602527600963
Studio/Live:
Studio
Release Date:
7 March, 2011
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Reviews
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From the first few notes, I knew this album was going to be really different from their last two. It's rather strange to hear electronics on a Noah and the Whale album. Definitely not what I expected...
Their first two albums were, lyrically, mainly about love and the terrible pain it causes. This album is about living life to the full, hope, and time passing.
"L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." is definitely a good choice for the lead single; it's positive, upbeat, and very catchy. I hope it does well. "Wild Thing" and "The Line" are very beautiful ballads that I'm sure all old fans will approve of. "Waiting For My Chance To Come" definitely reminds of of The Cars...
I suspect that some fans might not know how to take this album. One of the appeals of Noah and the Whale's music was listening to it as a soundtrack to the pain you felt at the time (at least it was for me anyway). Not only has the sound of the music changed, but the lyrics have changed too, so this is definitely a departure, or a new beginning, for the band. That said, I think this album deserves a few listens. It's definitely a change, but you can still hear it's the same band. I'd be surprised if any old fans don't like this album. While I absolutely adored their first two albums, I couldn't listen to them as often as I could listen to some other music I listen to. They were so genuinely sad that they made me feel sad and depressed while I listened to them. I must say, it's nice to be able to listen to Noah and the Whale without feeling depressed.
While this album is definitely very different, the important things remain the same; and that's the fact that these songs, like all other Noah and the Whale songs, have heart. From Charlie's vocals, to the way the instruments are played, it's all full of beautiful, genuine, emotion, and that's what made us all love them in the first place...
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