Noah and The Whale – Heart of Nowhere (18/06/2013)
After being one of the front-runners of the indie-folk movement Noah and The Whale have seemingly slipped into the background, watching as bands like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men saunter to the top.
The English band have since come back from releasing their hit infused album, Last Night On Earth, in 2011 with their fourth studio album, Heart of Nowhere.
There’s something about Heart of Nowhere that just begs for it to be played during a 70s montage. Images of young teens frolicking through abandoned parks at night, young lovers discovering themselves and the emancipating road trip with the windows wound down, flick through your mind as Noah and The Whale’s album plays on in the background. But that’s just it, Heart of Nowhere falls short in becoming a standout album to be played out loud and obnoxiously sung to.
That’s not to say that the album isn’t an achievement of Noah and The Whale, which it is. This time around Noah and The Whale have recorded the whole album live, adding to that very authentic 70s feel, but have also accompanied the album with a 30-minute short film.
Throughout Heart of Nowhere it tells the story of the end of adolescence and nostalgia, all paired with breezy guitar, jaunty classical strings and the soothing vocals of Charlie Fink.
After a soft instrumental introduction of strings and percussion the album flows seamlessly onto its title track Heart of Nowhere. The track builds almost instantly and is a tribute to the Noah and the Whale we all know and love.
Next up is All Through the Night, which mirrors aspects of some popular songs from many bygone eras. This track stands out from the album, as it is one of the few that has a great danceable beat backed by strong guitar solos.
Noah and the Whale are infamously known for reinventing themselves in every album and the five-piece have certainly delivered a new sound with Heart of Nowhere. However, the album itself is so consistent that the songs take on that uncanny ability of blending into one.
Tucked away near the end is the albums first released and best received track, There Will Come a Time. Featuring a stronger beat than its predecessors, the track stands as the ultimate song to turn up loud and sing your heart out too. Rhythmic guitar is layered on top of heavy bass with just the right amount of percussion to make it worthy of a hit status.
Now Is Exactly the Time, comes across as the ultimate lessen in life and growing up, with Fink musing “So if you can, offer empathy, don’t get lost in pride”. Not only have the Noah and The Whale boys clearly grown up in general but they’ve evolved their writing style as well and the album has been a clear example of this.
Heart of Nowhere mightn’t be the kind of album that you explicitly remember, but it offers so much more than just a catchy track to hum along to. The album’s strength comes from its tales of life and coming of age, as well as a lyrical improvement from the band in general. So put your limbs and vocals to rest because this is an album to satisfy the mind.
Amanda Sherring
The English band have since come back from releasing their hit infused album, Last Night On Earth, in 2011 with their fourth studio album, Heart of Nowhere.
There’s something about Heart of Nowhere that just begs for it to be played during a 70s montage. Images of young teens frolicking through abandoned parks at night, young lovers discovering themselves and the emancipating road trip with the windows wound down, flick through your mind as Noah and The Whale’s album plays on in the background. But that’s just it, Heart of Nowhere falls short in becoming a standout album to be played out loud and obnoxiously sung to.
That’s not to say that the album isn’t an achievement of Noah and The Whale, which it is. This time around Noah and The Whale have recorded the whole album live, adding to that very authentic 70s feel, but have also accompanied the album with a 30-minute short film.
Throughout Heart of Nowhere it tells the story of the end of adolescence and nostalgia, all paired with breezy guitar, jaunty classical strings and the soothing vocals of Charlie Fink.
After a soft instrumental introduction of strings and percussion the album flows seamlessly onto its title track Heart of Nowhere. The track builds almost instantly and is a tribute to the Noah and the Whale we all know and love.
Next up is All Through the Night, which mirrors aspects of some popular songs from many bygone eras. This track stands out from the album, as it is one of the few that has a great danceable beat backed by strong guitar solos.
Noah and the Whale are infamously known for reinventing themselves in every album and the five-piece have certainly delivered a new sound with Heart of Nowhere. However, the album itself is so consistent that the songs take on that uncanny ability of blending into one.
Tucked away near the end is the albums first released and best received track, There Will Come a Time. Featuring a stronger beat than its predecessors, the track stands as the ultimate song to turn up loud and sing your heart out too. Rhythmic guitar is layered on top of heavy bass with just the right amount of percussion to make it worthy of a hit status.
Now Is Exactly the Time, comes across as the ultimate lessen in life and growing up, with Fink musing “So if you can, offer empathy, don’t get lost in pride”. Not only have the Noah and The Whale boys clearly grown up in general but they’ve evolved their writing style as well and the album has been a clear example of this.
Heart of Nowhere mightn’t be the kind of album that you explicitly remember, but it offers so much more than just a catchy track to hum along to. The album’s strength comes from its tales of life and coming of age, as well as a lyrical improvement from the band in general. So put your limbs and vocals to rest because this is an album to satisfy the mind.
Amanda Sherring