Album of the Week - February 22, 2010 ~ The First Days of Spring ~ Noah and the Whale

This album starts off slowly, is spacious and introspective and is not as immediately catchy as Give a Little Love off their 2008 album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down.  Having said that, the layers of instruments, unique voice and lyrics of lead singer Charlie Fink make for a good listen.  Particularly delicious is Stranger wherein Fink opines, "oh and I'm waiting for the tires to spin over me, for everything I love has gone away."  Blue Skies too stands out as particularly beautiful and starts out as "This is a song for anyone with a broken heart, this is a song for anyone who can't get out of bed, I'll do anything to be happy, oh cuz Blue Skies are coming, but I know that it is hard..."

I first heard Noah and the Whale as a suggestion on my Bill Callahan Pandora station and found their new album in the library stacks.  Give 'em a listen!  (And here's the link to the Pandora station just mentioned on which they appear: http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh158206022308141898


From CDNow:


The London-based pop group Noah and the Whale -- originally comprised of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Urby (harmonium, bass), Laura Marling (backing vocals), and Doug Fink (drums) -- released their first single, "Five Years Time," on the Young and Lost Club label in September 2007. With momentum going strong from that release and a positive response to the band's live show, Noah and the Whale released single number two, "2 Bodies, 1 Heart," in January 2008. The bandmates were soon signed to a major-label deal and began working on their debut album. The summery, pastoral Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down was released in September 2008, followed one year later by The First Days of Spring. The latter album dealt heavily with Charlie Fink's failed relationship with Marling, who did not appear on any of the tracks, and garnered praise for its cinematic sound. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide

Content provided by All Music Guide Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC

Album of the Week - February 15, 2010 ~ Forget the Night Ahead by The Twilight Sad

Driving Scottish rockers, The Twilight Sad, offer up the album of the week.  The band strikes me as musically similar to Interpol and the Psychedelic Furs (though heavier), yet thankfully their Scottish accents come through.  For some reason, it seems some Celtic rockers loose their accent or brogue when singing, and delightfully, these gents do not.

From Wikipedia:

The Twilight Sad is an indie rock band fromKilsyth, Scotland, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar) and Mark Devine (drums). The band have released two full-length albums. Their 2007 debut, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, drew widespread critical acclaim^[1], while their second album,Forget the Night Ahead, was released in 2009.


This album features Seven Years of Letters and Reflection of the Television which are getting deserved airtime.  I Became a Prostitute reminds me the most of Interpol, though The Twilight Sad definitely has their own sound.  If you like any of these other bands, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Keane or U2, I think you have to check these guys out.


~Conan