photo courtesy of Jay Brooks
“Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down” was released Aug. 8.
Led by brothers Charlie and Doug Fink, the U.K. band Noah and the Whale has proved to be more than just a flash in the pan with the release of their debut album, “Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down.”
The album starts out brightly with “2 Atoms in a Molecule.”
“Last night I dreamed we were inseparably entwined / like a piece of rope made out of two pieces of vine,” Charlie sings, referring to his lover being in his dreams only to realize that she is gone when he wakes.
The songs alternate in elevating the mood with high peaks of sound and clapping, and bringing it back down through slower melodies – the ups and downs of love and all of the confusion in between represented on the 11 tracks.
“Shape of My Heart” is the first song on the album to introduce guest musicians and good friends Sam Kinrade and Jon Carvell on trumpet and trombone, respectively.
Not to be forgotten is Laura Marling, who left the band in May to focus on her solo career. Marling sings the backing vocals on all of the tracks. Her voice is the perfect contrast to Charlie’s harshness. It will be a shame if she is not on their next CD.
Songs such as “Give a Little Love” are reminiscent of the sound of Modest Mouse. Other bands that come to mind while listening to Noah and the Whale are Guster with the dramatic climaxes of some of their songs, and Cake with their witty lyrics.
The album deals primarily with love, but there is a darker mood that lingers on some of the tracks.
“Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down” has a sublime sound with good harmonies throughout. The four members, and their collaborators, have found their own groove that a lot of indie bands try to come close to, but few reach.
The album isn’t just a good listen, it is an experience of the heart.
Kimberly Snodgrass can be reached at [email protected].
