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With successful solo artists Laura Marling and Emmy the Great once being members of their band, whispers about the quality of Noah And The Whale have been going around for a long time.
At its core the band is a combination of lead singer and lyricist Charlie Fink with the instrumentally dextrous sometime child actor Urby Whale; violinist Tom and drummer Doug complete the line-up. Recruited tonight, as well are Johnny Flynn's sister on backing vocals, are brass duet The Ocean Horns. But it's Urby who's the star performer, juggling a bass, harmonium and glockenspiel while providing backing vocals.
The Edinburgh performance coincides neatly with the release of debut album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down. This live performance is proof that every track on the album could be a single, as each lovingly crafted song comes booming out from the busy stage.
The highlight of the evening is not Charlie's jokes, but the emotional performance of 2 Bodies 1 Heart; this is a band penning lyrics almost as beautiful as the music they make. The violin adds a giant touch of class to an already elegant act.
With Noah And The Whale's whistling anthem 5 Years' Time popping up on every radio station, tonight's performance merely serves to underline that they're not about to vanish any time soon - there's plenty more where that came from.
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