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Thursday 30 July 2009
First day with The First Days of Spring
album art detail (photo: James 'J Ro' Robinson)
It is with some regret and embarrassment that I have to report my failure to acknowledge that Quick Before It Melts turned 3 on Friday, July 24, 2009. I’m usually pretty good at keeping my sights on milestones like that, but I guess sometimes these things slip by in the hustle of life. It wasn’t until I started listening to The First Days of Spring, the brand new Noah And The Whale album that it realized the anniversary date had passed, because it was just after last year’s birthday that I first mentioned the band on here. The release of their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down was a few months away, but their jaunty single “Five Years Time” really was a great accompaniment to lazy summer days in the sun. Now, almost one year on, The First Days of Spring is set to be the perfect accompaniment to grey, overcast summer days more prone to rain than rays. Season-referencing title aside, this new album revolves around a winter of discontent, documenting and referencing the end of a relationship throughout its 11 tracks.
Even though I’ve only really had a single day to absorb it, I’m compelled enough to bring this imminent release (August 31 according to the band’s website, but I haven’t confirmed whether that is the same date in the UK and North America) to your attention, as it’s just about the most intoxicating album I’ve heard all year. The folkiness and quirkiness of last year’s album has evaporated, leaving behind a distilled sense of mournful, maudlin melody. Read: no sophomore slump happening here. I think about how many fantastic debut albums I’ve reviewed here over the last three years, and how many of them have been followed up with something lacklustre and disappointing, and realize how rare it is to see musical progression on this scale. I liked their first album well enough, but I’m loving The First Days of Spring, and am certain that you will, too.
MP3: Noah & The Whale “The First Days of Spring”
Myspace: Noah & The Whale
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