Noah’s Lark
The Metro.
It’s not the musical connoisseur’s choice. Its tries to keep it’s finger on the pulse but bands are often in the trend morgue by the time Metro get stuck in. Or don’t even get admitted.
In the space of a three weeks, Noah and the Whale have gone from being a band that my girlfriend’s friend said her friend plays in and that I should check them out, through the next big thing name-dropped by too-cool-for-fools Lauren Laverne, to a full page article in the Metro, East Midlands edition. Not the South Yorkshire music hotbed edition, or London international centre of all new things edition. No, in the edition for the Brummie-lite part of the country no-one pays any attention to unless they live in Rugby, or watch it.
The illuminating thing about the Metro’s article is that they run with a photo of the band, pre-hype. No, photo-shoot styling here. No slick hair, english country gent waistcoats (minus the irony), and hunting dogs (ok, not in any of their pics, but may as well be), but just four lads in casual clothes and unmanagable tangled hair. Maybe the Metro had got in early, but by the time it got round to print the band had got a makeover and more airplay than hours in the day.
Everyone wants to be the first to say I was there before they were famous, and when that’s not possible, they want to be the first to provide a true insight, to differentiate themselves given that everyone is giving their ten pence worth. Noah and the Whale already appear to have been crushed by the stampede.
One insufferably repetitive wet song later and there’s a clamour to acknowledge that 5 Years Time isn’t typical of their approach, and that actually the lyrics are much darker. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8YCSJpF4g4 in case the video above doesn’t work).
Unfortunately, their ubiquitous song is a millstone already. Apparently is was meant as a low-key simple song, which it is. Yet after a few listens you’ve worked it out and it’s no fun anymore (if indeed it was in the first place). It doesn’t have to be this way. Take the same basic building blocks, call yourselves Eels and create an enduring gem of a song.
It’s fitting that lyrically 5 Years Time dwells on the wonder of the moment. Whatever lies at the heart of their tunes, I can’t help but feel that they are either victims of an unstoppable movement, or have things so perfectly lined up in marketing terms (previous collaborators/music and media contacts with influence etc). that this explosion of interest has been created with precision timing.
I fear the latter.
However, I saw their acoustic set for 6 music (http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/summersundae2008/hub/) and having missed half of their main set (queues for the toilets if you must know) feel I need to give them more of a chance. If only to know whether the ark was ready for the flood.
More from the festival soon…
P.S. Did you spot my long lost twin in their video?
Recommended for:
George – I think they are following a style you created a while ago!
Claire – It’s all part of your southern education. A twee contrast to northern grit
Laura – Because Birmingham is sunny too
Tommy G – You seem to be loving China, so this shouldn’t spoil things.
Steer clear:
Vicki HF – There was plenty more promising material at Leicester Summer Sundae
Si – I’m guessing you’re sick of the song already and imagine you’d want to throw things at them if you saw them across the street.
Hypewatch – Lykke Li
You may think Noah and the Whale are the hottest indie property right now, but the difference between them and greatness was demonstrated this weekend in an effortless and startling burst of rap by a petite swedish blonde with a cutesy voice.
It’s rare to walk away from a festival set and think you’ve just seen something quite special. But in the midst of an indie-pop performance laced with attitude and fun were moments of genius. It takes some audacity to attempt a cover of a song that has only just found its way into the hearts of the indie masses, but her take on Vampire Weekend’s Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa was enchanting, all the more so as she delivered with nonchalance.
It was only when I heard Little Bit did I realise that she’s already had her own hype over here, so you should have heard her before:
It was her encore, however, that set her a class apart. Remember a Tribe Called Quest?
She turned their hip hop anthem into something unique, delivering a word-perfect brash rap, wrestling with the lyrics and overpowering the beats to create a soothing come-down.
When I see Noah and his crew deconstruct, say, Daft Punk, live, and with humour, then I’ll believe the hype.
Recommended for:
Tommy G – there are traces of Far Eastern influences
Andy B – Go catch her live if you can
Steer clear – Bev – Wouldn’t make for a happy birthday!
