Noah and the Whale - Love of an Orchestra

Reviewed by Charles Beavis

A curse of the sophomore album these days after a relatively successful debut, aside from 'difficult second album syndrome', is the seeming obligation to include a strings or orchestra section. The extra budget enables them to play and they think that it is the best form for their output even though it clearly is not necessary. Noah and the Whale have a style of music that with skilful deployment, an orchestra or strings section works magnificently as is the case here. (Also the name of this single doesn't exactly lend itself to a solo guitar).

What orchestra parts there are to be found here are handled with care and pace. By the end you are left thinking that there was a full symphonic playing. The skill of arrangement induces paired with some Derren Brown style trickery from the repetition of the title in the lyrics leaves you thinking they had the London Philharmonic on board. So much repeated are those lyrics that by the end they are just starting to grind but with a track such as this it finds further excellence in its brevity. A short 2 minute blast of choir and piano and suddenly you find yourself in a world that is better than it was 125 seconds ago.

3.5/5