Noah and The Whale
The First Days of Spring

London's Noah and the Whale released their debut album 'Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down' around this time last year, but there was something missing from their makeup that prevented them from really challenging any of their contemporaries to the folk-pop crown. For album number two, Charlie Fink and co. have decided that less is more. Although teen siren Laura Marling's chaste tones furnished their debut with some of its best songs, she's not needed for 'The First Days of Spring'; here, Noah and the Whale are stamping their own identity on the genre, forgoing the use of any guest performers (apart from the talents of an impressive choir on 'Blue Skies' and 'Love of an Orchestra' ), whether it's a successful endeavour or not.

They've got more to say this time around, too. It'll probably have been a while since you've heard a new album that wallows in heartache so resolutely. Despite its title, Fink's lyrics deal with the tragedy of a broken heart that would seem more suited to the depths of winter than the first days of spring, yet he manages to capture the intimate details of a relationship ("Her leg still forced in-between mine, sticking to my skin") without being corny.

Their decision to strip back their sound pays off, too. We're four tracks in before an electric guitar is introduced, in tandem with a soft brass blast, on the lovely 'My Broken Heart', and the slow moving, string-laden title track takes a while to unfurl, representative of the album as a whole. Fink's woody vocals are a bonus, at times echoing James Yorkston ('Stranger') and Bill Callahan ('My Door is Always Open').

So then, Noah and the Whale have proved that they can do 'heartbreak' well, even if it becomes encumbered by self-pity at times. Can they master the full palette of emotions? We'll have to see, but this is definitely a step forward.

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