When one thinks of Noah and the Whale, the song 5 Years Time springs to mind, it being the song which paved the way to the charts for the band, it reaching number 7 in the UK. The album this was from, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down itself reached number 5. This was then followed up by The First Days of Spring, which was marginally less successful. NatW, however, have struck gold again (literally, having achieved 100,000 sales) with their latest release - Last Night on Earth.
The opening track, Life is Life sets the tone for a modern, if laid back affair. This tells the story of a man who is born again - 'Well he used to be somebody/ And now he's someone else/ Took apart his old life/ Left it on the shelf'. This song encourages us to 'live like it's your life' which is all very well meaning. The track itself does not possess the empowering euphoric sounds which one might expect from a song which conveys such meaning, despite coming close. It does, however, tell a story, something I'm a fan of. The repetition of 'Your life is your life gotta live like it's your life' would fit perfectly in the narrative of many a Disney film, but it brings a certain urgency at the end of the track, which probably sounds cracking at concerts.
Tonight's The Kind of Night kicks off with a neat piano riff and continues the energy which was found at the end of the last track. Again, we are told a story. Musically, the song is soft, pleasant and pacy, but it is lyrically where NatW really show their strength. We take a journey with a man who is looking out the steamed up window of 'a bus heading out of town'. At this point, it becomes clear that our protagonist might be the one who resolved to live his life in the opening track, as we are told that 'tonight's the kind of night/ Where everything could change.' This optimistic tale of a boy leaving town on a grand adventure to change is life is fitting, and the quicker pace of the track fits, this being a moment of great significance in our protagonist's story.
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N is that awfully nice song you've heard on the radio. It's quite the summery tune. Here we meet Lisa, who 'went down on almost anyone' and seems to embrace the 'live the life your own way' maxim which permeates the album. Then we are introduced to Joey, an artist whose best work are the 'extended works of fiction about imaginary success' he sends home. Again, however, this sense of not being a total success is countered by the sentiment that 'On my last night on Earth, I'll pay a high price to have no regrets and be done with my life', suggesting that perhaps there is merit in dying unsuccessful, but having followed your own path. Musically, the song is one that, for me, would begin to irritate after a few listens due to its obvious effort to sound entirely pleasant and optimistic and summery, but that may well just be me being a grumpy so and so.
Wild Thing had me very excited at first glance of the title, making me think of the fantastic song by The Troggs ('Wild thing, you make my heart sing' etc etc). Alas, NatW's effort will likely not overshadow it. This track and, specifically, the vocal, is reminiscent of a Lou Reed song (maybe in his 'Coney Island Baby' stage), with the vocal almost spoken for the majority of the track. Here, our protagonist meets a girl who has been 'living without wings'. We are told of her boredom - indeed this might be the state in which the character in Life is Life was in before he decided to change his life and move away. Boredom, in this case, appears to make the girl go mental, living rough for 9 days and, as a result, having blood on her shirt. In the end though, 'she's lying in the moonlight with her hands between my knees', so all's well that ends well it seems.
Give it all Back finds our protagonist in a reflective mood, in a track which sounds rather optimistic and cheery. This, musically, is probably my pick from the album and the lyrics also fail to disappoint. We are taken back to the summer of 1998 where our main man is 'living out in the suburbs/ planning my escape.' Then we are introduced to a band which was formed and played their debut gig at a school concert - 'we're making our own way out' further demonstrating a desire to overcome the hurdle which their predicament purportedly represents to them. The nostalgia comes back with a bite - 'Yeah I'd give it all back just to do it again/ Turn back time, be with my friends.'
Just Me Before We Met's intro sounds different, with some sort of strings and keyboard combo engaged with each other before the lyrics kick in and then we have the band complete the sound about halfway through the track. We are introduced to 'me before we met' with 'bad haircuts', 'cigarettes' all 'trying hard to impress'. This piece of introspection is one which we may all easily relate to - it is the feeling when we look into a drawer when tidying it out and finding an artifact of the person we used to be - David Hume used to speak of our mind being in a state of 'perpetual flux', and this is evidenced here. Our predecessor might have been obsessed with a band or an image which we grow out of - we change, but this doesn't necessarily mean it is unwise, nor even needless, to look back. It lets us see where we've been, which might better direct us where to go.
Paradise Stars weighs in at a mighty 1:30 and forms a soft piano melody in a musical interlude of sorts. This is a beautiful wee sound, which is disappointingly short - I could easily listen to an hour of a simple track like this, although it is of the ilk which might send you into a state of zen and, ultimately, sleep. So I wouldn't stick it on repeat until you're ready to call it a day.
Waiting for My Chance to Come comes with guitars, strings and a beat and a drive which is more prevalent here than in other points of the album. This is a love story. We are told 'it takes real guts to be alone/ Going head to head with the great unknown', and presented with two individuals, both 'waiting on their chance to come'. The feeling of two becoming one is described from the point of view of our narrator - 'When you're walking next to me, I can hear my body speak'. This, essentially, sends out a message that everything will turn out in the end, and that our chance will come in matters of the heart. It's a great track all round.
The Line combines the mix of electronica and acoustic, with the emphasis firmly on the former here. For me, this is probably the weakest song on the album - it's somewhat bland in comparison to the other tracks on the album with no real oomph or sentiment found in the sound as a whole. We are told of a girl who appears to be in a relationship with another who is a violent drunk, as she picks up glass and then tiptoes out of the door, and, seemingly, the man's life. However, we are brought back to the message which this album is clearly intended to convey - 'I've lived my life like a diamond/ Bright and hard like a diamond' ; no regrets.
Old Joy begins with a chord repeated on the piano echoing as if some funeral march. The choir coming in follows this theme. This feels like an ending. And it is - the final track. It confirms, repeats and affirms the message which the album seeks to resonate within the listener - to 'forget the things that get away' and 'Don't dream of yesterday'. To conclude, Last Night on Earth tells a story and conveys a message - something which is a rarity in the majority of mainstream music - to live life to the full. We are not to be put off by small hindrances, for our chance will come, life goes on. Follow this advice and we will live our lives like diamonds and undoubtedly sleep beneath a sky filled with paradise stars. Musically, NatW are pleasant without ever threatening to blow you away. Some tracks lack a little kick, whereas others are great. All round though, it is a good effort.
7.0/10
Buy Last Night on Earth on Amazon here: Last Night on Earth
Buy Last Night on Earth on Amazon mp3 here: Last Night On Earth
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