Top 10 Albums of 2009 – No.1

Music — By Andrew Evans on 04/01/10

No. 1 Noah and The Whale – The First Days of Spring

After 2008’s Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, Twickenham folk-poppers Noah and The Whale were dismissed by many as overly twee, folk-by-numbers con artists.  However, their breakthrough single 5 Years Time, with it’s ukulele intro and chant-along chorus (bolstered by the addition of Laura Marling on backing vocals), turned out to be one of the summer of 2008’s biggest anthems.

Released just over a year after their debut, The First Days of Spring documents the disintegration of singer Charlie Fink’s relationship with Marling. Unsurprisingly, gone are the summer sing-alongs and jaunty whistling, replaced by lush orchestration, a morose baritone from Fink, and a far lower BPM.

The near seven-minute title track opens proceedings in an unhurried manner – it’s a full minute and a half until Fink is even heard – that sets the tone for the ten remaining songs. As a mission statement, Fink’s opening couplet of ‘it’s the first day of springs, and my life is starting over again’ hits the bullseye.  As the track builds to its enthralling, in-goes-the-kitchen-sink climax, it becomes clear that Fink and co. are living and breathing every note. It’s exhilarating to listen to.

Written in the order that they appear, the songs contain a narrative that is hard not to connect with.  The opening quartet are therefore bleak, with Fink wallowing in the wreck.  The titles alone aren’t promising – I Have Nothing, My Broken Heart – however the quality of the songwriting and the pain in Fink’s world weary vocals set the album apart from its peers.

It is in its second half though that The First Days of Spring comes into its own.  The self-admitted freak out of Love of an Orchestra finally see’s Fink looking past his emotional pain – ‘I know I’ll never been lonely, I’ve got songs in my blood’ – while Stranger delivers a blow-by-blow account of a regrettable post-breakup one night stand.

Daylight is eventually seen however in the form of Blue Skies, which sees Fink crooning ‘this is the last song that I write, whilst still in love with you’ over a commanding bass line, and is undoubtedly the best song here. That is followed by the looping Slow Glass means that the album’s close is just a strong as it’s opening.

Make no mistake, The First Days of Spring won’t fill indie-disco dancefloors like 5 Years Time did, but it isn’t trying to.  What it is however, is a breathtaking leap forward for the group, in which they grow up, get serious and most importantly, get it spot on.

The First Days of Spring

Blue Skies

Slow Glass