Noah & The Whale: The Last Night On Earth

After the twee-folk of its first two albums, Noah & The Whale winningly shifts gears with the glimmering synth-pop of The Last Night On Earth. The change is evident immediately on the opener, “Life Is Life,” with staccato keyboard lines and machine-gun drum-machine beats marking a definitive departure from the handclaps of Noah & The Whale’s 2007 breakout hit, “Five Years Time.” From there, The Last Night On Earth opens up even wider, with “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” bursting to life with throbbing rhythms and chiming guitars as frontman Charlie Fink croons, “You’ve got heart / and you’re going your own way.” Fans of the old Noah & The Whale get some respite on “Waiting For My Chance To Come,” which opens with an acoustic guitar part lifted from “Solsbury Hill” before driving to a rousing classic-rock climax. The Last Night On Earth might leave some of Noah & The Whale’s old audience behind, but the band appears to be headed in the right direction.