Noah and the Whale hits the stage, rocks harder than expected

Judging by the subdued tones of [Noah and the Whale]'s warm and charming debut LP, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, released yesterday in the United States, the live show easily could have fallen flat. This might have been a group bound to pretty studio recordings. But if you caught the U.K. band at Union Pool last night, performing its first New York City show, you know that the band suffered through none of the pitfalls that might come with performing a predominantly genteel album.

The band plugged in for this tour, with lead singer, Charlie Fink, commenting that the band felt it necessary to bring the electric guitar and cymbals out for the U.S. tour, so that Noah and the Whale could really "rock out." Fink and his bandmates—Doug Fink (drums), Tom Hobden (fiddle) and Matt Urby (bass)—looked like rockabilly hipsters with plaid button downs and faint pompadour hair styles, and their vocal harmonies, many done a cappella, combined with rollicking guitars and Hobden's impressive fiddle work, gave the show a down-home feel.

The band ran through songs from the recent album and made the bold choice to open with a new song, titled "Run from Hope," and closed with an encore of The Smiths' "Girlfriend in a Coma." Fink's vocal cracks, phrasing and deeper register packed a natural emotional punch, much like Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum. Two additional brass players threw in a bit of a Calexico vibe, while Hobden's crying fiddle injected the music with a country feeling that made the band's sound rise up from the ashes of other indie pack-rats. Noah and the Whale's live show completely exceeded expectations and rocked harder than anticipated. The new CD might have its place reserved as a sweet and solid effort, but the live performance showed that the band's sound is a lot richer and more satisfying than even the album might suggest.