Noah and the Whale

If the thought of another English band with indie-folk leanings makes your intestines writhe, take heart, we’re not plugging Mumford and Sons. Rather, Noah and the Whale is a five-piece UK group who built their sound on sweetly woeful melodies, and clever lyrics (as opposed to ham-fisted hyper banjoing). The only thing actually hyper about these guys is their ambition—in 2009, frontman Charlie Fink shot a full-length movie titled The First Days of Spring to accompany an eponymous album. Sure, a lot of it was maudlin guitars laid over images of the English countryside shot from a vintage car, but the album’s occasionally clichéd moments give way to soaring violin crescendos that inspire chills. With songs about lonely bar maids rocking pendulum hips, Noah and the Whale call to mind the haunting moodiness of Sigur Ros, with the wit of Belle and Sebastian. Best of all, the banjo is kept to a minimum.

Wed., Oct. 2, 8 p.m., 2013

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