Noah & The Whale - Tonight’s The Kind Of Night

It needn’t be said again, as it has been proclaimed countless times over the past month or so, but Noah & The Whale have gone pop. Yes, I know it’s a shocker, and sorry if I’m the first person to break it to you but the word on the street is true. The first single off their new album ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’ was an unexpected success; it has the best opening line for yonks (‘Lisa likes brandy and the way it hits her lips / She’s a rock’n’roll survivor with pendulum hips’) and an anthemic chorus everyone tried in vain to learn the rhythm of.

So we all know what to expect from this new single ‘Tonight’s The Kind Of Night’ and it may not be as life-assuring as their last single, but it doesn’t fail to deliver. Fink’s lazy Lou Reed croon guides us through lonely bus journeys and romantic possibilities, with a gospel choir backed chorus of ‘Tonight’s the kind of night where everything could change.’ It’s a triumphant tale which fits perfectly into the optimistic themes found on their new album, also showing lead-man Charlie Fink’s talent for story telling with lines like ‘He draws with his finger a map of the roads they go down’ detailing the bus journey of a lone boy seeking excitement in an unfamiliar world. Laser guided synths and stratospheric percussion show off their newfound pop-precision, with pianos echoing off into the distant night. Noah & The Whale have got awfully good at this pop malarkey, and awfully quickly too.

Noah & The Whale sound The Velvet Underground circa 2011, with apathetic lyrics putting you inside the stories Fink is telling, and music which is a long way from their Mumford-esque debut. If Noah and co. can keep up the pace they may finally find the recognition they deserve, but for now I’m going to go and try working out how to sing that goddamn chorus. L.I.F.E.G.I… I give up.