NOAH AND THE WHALE – LAST NIGHT ON EARTH

NOAH AND THE WHALE – LAST NIGHT ON EARTH

Forget the fact that to date, Noah and the Whale had been darlings of the English Neu Folk scene, like Dylan going electric, Charlie Fink and band have busted out on Last Night On Earth and explored everything from synth pop to stadium rock. You need only the opening track Tonight’s the Kind of Night to rip away any preconceptions as they launch into an Arcade Fire/Bruce Springsteen/Pat Bentar stadium pop number that screams sing-a-long. Programed beats and big synth keyboards are only half the picture, as big chorus’ and indie-pop sensibilities see the band shedding the mournful feel of the previous album, The First Days of Spring. Not that melancholy has been entirely overlooked, as Wild Thing provides a welcome slowing of tempo with Fink in Stephin Merritt/Lou Reed mode. Waiting For My Chance To Come is pure Go-Betweens – from the melody, to the beat, to the violin – solidifying the album as the great “borrower”. Ultimately this Last Night on Earth’s problem; immediately appealing due to its sense of familiarity, like fast-food, its diminishing returns leaves a sense of hollowness.

***1/2

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