Noah and The Whale

Taking their name from the movie The Squid & The Whale and its director Noah Baumbach, Noah and The Whale are regarded as one of the best proponents of the new wave of English folk. Although, based on their debut album, it looks like they might be overtaken by the careers of former members Laura Marling and Emmy The Great. Thanks to a combination of Charlie Fink's vocals and the preciousness of the whole album, it is easy to see why Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down isn't going to be loved by everyone, and that's without pointing out some of the more obvious flaws. The bottom line is that what seems charming in small doses gets slightly cloying over the duration, much in the same way that too much Kimya Dawson isn't a good thing. The best moments, such as the summery "Five Years Time," are wonderful but too many songs never escape the weight of the bleak lyrics, meaning there is only about half a good album here. Fortunately that's pretty much all anybody needs.