Summer has officially hit for over a week now and on Sunday I headed north to return home, leaving the big city behind me for quite some time. It was a bittersweet farewell, let me tell you. While I am leaving behind a lot in Toronto, I know there's so much in store for me the next couple of months. Anyway, I am going to blame stressful exams, a choatic move and the whole "settling in" process for my lack of posts???...hmmm, yeah..that's it...
Nevertheless, this following post is long overdue:
On April 27th, the "british-indie-folk-pop group" Noah and the Whale, graced Toronto's Mod Club with their presence. They played a great mix of some of their tracks from their first album "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" and their upcoming cd. I could see how some fans might be slightly disapointed by this, since the majority of the show consisted of unfamiliar songs that shockingly have yet to leak on the web. Personally, I loved the exposure to what the band has in store. While staying true to their sunny, cute, romantic lyrics and melodies- they also showed us their edgier side, steering further from their folk-feel in their upbeat tracks and going in a more "rocky" direction- surely as rock as Noah and the Whale can get.
Either way, the familiar Rocks and daggers and Give a Little Love, struck me in a way, a wonderful way, that they never did listening to it through my headphones. It must have been the bands infectious energy and just simply, seeing it performed before my eyes. And by that I mean, the drummer's (Doug Fink) hilarious facial expressions while he passionately pounded away. Or Charlie Fink's charming stage presence and unconventionnaly deep, lovable voice. Vincent Moon, the man behind the take away shows, says it perfectly: "But what’s more important to remember is that they are a band in the most exact definition of the word—four individuals in harmony." The chemistry is undeniable. Even with their brilliant backing female vocalist Laura Marling missing in action, they were still such a joy to watch, sing and dance along to!
This three part take away show by blogotheque of Noah and the Whale in Paris isn't quite the equivalent of the live performance, but it's still worth a gander:
**I would also suggest checking out one of their opening acts, Anni Rossi. I only caught the last bit of her set, but she was very interesting and very original. Her uniqueness comes from her use of the viola, the instrument which was clearly the centerpiece of her work. With the combination of plucking the viola like a guitar, bowing it, the use of a sort of a bass kick drum (ahh, i'm not sure what you call it?) and an effortlessly lovely voice, her music was rich and intriguing.
ch-ch-check it:
www.myspace.com/annirossi
www.myspace.com/annirossi
I think I just came to the sudden realization that one of the biggest things I am going to miss about Toronto is the music.
