Noah and the Whale

It was in the Book of Samuel (1Sa 16:1-16:23) that myself and fellow Christians were told of the Lord's quest to find a suitable king of Israel; after He had so ceremoniously stripped Saul of the royal title. Now Saul was most put out by said stripping, so much so that it began to affect his mental health and he started to receive most unwanted visits from an evil spirit. The Lord promptly advised Saul to give orders to his servants, to go in search of the man "…who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well." Saul heeded the heavenly one's warning and sent his servants forth in to the wilderness to complete this task. On their return, one of the servants spoke of a man who "...is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words and pleasing in looks..." I think my fellow concert-goers would be in agreement when I say that this man was surely, in some way, an ancestor of one Mr Charlie Fink. This is the gospel according to Noah and the Whale.

Tonight's show took place in Manchester Cathedral; hopefully making my religious references less nonsensical and more nifty. Performing a total of seventeen tracks in just ninety minutes; it had been clear from the outset that tonight's set was going to be a righteous celebration of the band's brilliant debut and second album, namely 'Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down' ('08) and 'The First Days of Spring' ('09). The five-piece indie-folk outfit emerged from behind the pulpit to take the stage, which was cast in moody blue and bloody red shadows; the perfect staging for such an atmospheric night. It was clear that the eager crowd, as they bustled forward keen to catch a glimpse of the band up close, had not only waited a long time to see them live but were also more than a little in awe of the venue; as too I might mention were Fink and the boys themselves.



Kicking off with the sauntering delights of 'Blue Skies' taken from their second album, the band relaxed in to the set quite nicely and the atmosphere was one of chilled vibes and cool veneers. The band were joined on stage by a female gospel choir, who provided those essential haunting harmonies and majestic melodies. The musicality and driving force of the band has never been in question on their recorded material and this was carried through in to their performance; with both string and brass accompaniment throughout their set. Next up was one of my personal favourites, 'Give A Little Love'. This addictive track speaks about giving something or someone your all; and what you give is what you will get back. Cleverly though, the narrator realises that things don't always work out that way, but remains steadfast in his or her belief that if you're going to die, it might as well be whilst trying… "Well I know my death will not come, 'til I breathe all the air out my lungs, 'til my final tune is sung…" After all, God loves a try-er.

Next up was a new track from the band's upcoming third album, as yet un-named and unfinished. I didn't manage to catch the title of this one; such was the volume of the cheering and applause in-between tracks. Needless to say, I enjoyed this fresh new addition to the set list and can't wait to hear the album in full later this year. My favourite track came next and I don't think that I was alone in that admission. 'Love Of An Orchestra' is one of those rare sounds that just grabs you and pulls you along for the ride; leaving you wondering what happened and where you are, but wanting to do it all over again. I can't express my love for this track enough to do it justice in its simplicity and buoyancy, I just recommend that you give it a listen for yourselves and grapple for your own adjectives.

Second album tracks 'Our Window', 'I Have Nothing' and 'My Broken Heart' followed, but the subjects of heartbreak and despair did nothing to dampen the spirits of the crowd. I find this particular attribute so impressive about Fink's songwriting; he manages to combine the most poignant and searing lyrics which strike right at the heart, with blissful melodies and soothing sounds, somehow making the overall feel of the track one of hope and possibility. I guess that's the distinction between a lyricist and a poet and he is definitely the latter. Lively tracks 'Jocasta', '2 Atoms In A Molecule' and 'Shape Of My Heart' also featured in the set, which Fink encouraged everybody to dance to and of course they obliged. The acoustics were very impressive in the towering and darkened venue; as I expected, and the space was just perfect for a folk band and a crowd of this size. I remember looking up at the protruding stained glass windows and holy statues thinking, I'm not sure every band could square up to such a challenge and manage to fill the room with music which, at times, seemed almost a religious experience.



The evening seemed to forge ahead so quickly, with the band preferring to entertain the crowd with as many tracks as possible rather than engage in endless conversation, which I think they appreciated. When a band such as this comes to town, you want to make the most of the experience and come away having heard several of your favourite tracks performed live; a debate which has raged in the music press of late. I, for what it's worth, am on the side of audience expectation; I do expect to hear some if not all of a band's most successful tracks performed live at a show, but I also appreciate getting to hear new tracks before the general public. I also don't like it when an artist doesn't acknowledge the crowd at all throughout their set, which wasn't an issue with this band luckily.

After 'The First Days Of Spring', the band left the stage but quickly returned to perform 'My Door Is Always Open' and crowd favourite '5 Years Time', finishing with newly penned track 'L.I.F.E G.O.E.S O.N'. The summery '5 Years Time' was perfect for the season and a real feel-good penultimate track to perform. The final number had a distinct country-feel as opposed to a folk-feel I thought, in its most literal sense of course. I enjoyed the slow pace of this one and considered it a great sound to relax and wind down with.

And so, just like on the Seventh Day when having created the Earth, God rests, so do Noah and the Whale having created what was surely an atmosphere of joy, happiness and fun. And they saw that it was good.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.