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.
Caught out there – The Seahorses
If I were a full time musician, and had conquered the world with a blinding debut album, but had seen others misunderstand my genius then, upon starting up a new band I’d be out to prove people wrong. Instead John Squire of Stone Roses fame hooked up with a busker and two other non-descripts (one who had a very dodgy goatee) and formed The Seahorses. It was promising initially, a bit of support from Noel who penned his own track (Love me and Leave me) and even toured with them, trademark wizardry on the guitar from Squire…but actually, a couple of songs aside you had to be the most dogged of Squire fans to hang on to this lot.
For those of you who like the Stone Roses I know you fall into one of two camps. You’re a purist or a realist. Half way through ‘I Am The Resurrection’ the song effectively ends, there’s a pause and then John Squire gets all fancy with a 5 minute guitar solo. Purists get all indignant when an indie club/radio station stops the song halfway through. Realists walk when they don’t. Not sure where you stand? Imagine watching the real resurrection. I mean, that’s going to be some event. Now imagine people banging on about it for the next 2000 years. That’ll be the guitar solo.
The Seahorses see Squire continue his preaching, except now the congregation is dwindling.
There was, however, one good indie ballad, written ironically by the busker. Blinded by the Sun. For a chance to believe again, the whole album is here.
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Seahorses
Verdict: Smart money was always on Ian Brown
Guilty parties – hmmm, only me? I reckon Vicki W, Si, Andy T and secretly, Russ
Recommended for:
Nick – despite all the above you can always improve on Jamiroquai.
Beccy – the Busker has a solo slot at LSS
Steer clear:
Donald – the unnecessary warbling and guitar nonsense will wind you up no end
Caught out there – The Levellers
Second in the series, and this may cause a stir. I’ve not hugged any trees. I’ve not protested against a by-pass (despite my career choice). I don’t smell (well, not yet but my stance against Daniel Powter may change that).
The Levellers don’t really split opinions because no-one likes them. At least, not now. But we did. If you were 16 when Levelling the Land was released, then hearing the words “there’s only one way of life and that’s your own” may have had a teeny bit of meaning to you. You are a grown up after all and no-one should be telling you what to do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XScq7NLRnYU
Coming from Cambridge, with the Folk Festival and all, the Levellers probably have a natural home so school friends and i can be excused. But now, can i look back with pride? Well, no. The fiddle sounds wrong on so many levels.
And they’re not misunderstood. People understand them perfectly well and still shout explitives.
But you can’t keep shaggy dogs down and a few years back they cleaned up their media image and hit us with a more slick production with what on the surface is a happy song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36gW-IPV0aA&feature=related
Lets be honest though, their reputation cannot be altered, so back to the nostalgia approach – for those who indulged in Levelling the Land, it’s time to cringe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyXN8G–MPM&feature=related
So the verdict is that you really can’t take pride here, keep this lot at the back of your CD collection and give the dust a home.
Not that that’ll stop them. They’ve got a new album…
http://www.myspace.com/levellers
Guilt trippers:
All the Cambridge lads – no you can’t blame the cider/Mad Dog 20 20/cans of lager in the car park before Feet First.
Innocent guv
Matt Christie – Last time I went to Newcastle, glam rock was still the sound/look to have – I can’t imagine Brighton-based fake Irish folk cut the mustard
Donald – Sympathy for the cause, or all a bit unecessary and inappropriate? I’m plumping for the latter
Anna sis – cos you’re far too cool for this
Hypewatch – MGMT
MGMT
“For all its musical philandering, unbridled excess and shrouds of irony, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a record with more musical depth and warmth all year than this one.” NME 8/10
Irony in music and ridiculous clothes are not going to get my music juices flowing. In fact, these types need a proper clean up and perhaps a word from whathisname, Gok? (see pic at http://www.nme.com/reviews/mgmt/9519)
A snippet of Electric Feel and I’m whisked off to one of those hideous clubs, y’know, in places like Birmingham where you step in at the tender age of 29 to hear 70’s funk and you realise you’re still the kid on the dancefloor about to be chatted up by a 45 year old with a blonde wig. This is one the wedding DJ’s will be playing in 10 years…
But halt! ‘Time to Pretend’, now that’s a proper, prick up your ears tune that will be bounding round your head for a while.
And there’s enough buried deep within songs like Weekend Wars and The Youth to forget for a moment that they have oversized sunglasses and silly high voices. Hmmm, i think i agree with NME. Oh dear.
Verdict – Go on then, if you must.
Recommended for
Claire – you too like big sunglasses
Vicki W – It’ll bridge the gap between your indie cool and James’ cheese!
Si – Somehow, i think they’d be worth seeing live
Steer clear
Kris – It’s just too wierd
Andy Brown – or possibly not, i just can’t tell with you. You might like their alleged ironic side
