The Bosun's Locker in London might become a pilgrimage-worthy mecca for fans of some of today's rising indie-icons. While the acoustic-intensive and tearfully sensitive Mumford & Sons have perhaps made the biggest splash of any of the acts that used to perform at the English pub, it was Noah & The Whale that made the first leap into the world outside of the legendary folk-night showcases of the small, poorly lit club.
It's yet to be heard, though, if Mumford & Sons will forge ahead with the sonic unpredictability that Charlie Fink and his crew have thus far. Thanks to the quintet's third full-length record, the cohesive and evolved Last Night on Earth, the oft-described "indie-folk" group are now drawing rightful comparisons to decidedly non-folk artists such as Tom Petty and The Cars.
The self-described cinephiles (as evidenced in their Noah Baumbach-worshipping moniker) have indeed crafted an album with relatable lyrical themes that often tell a rather satisfying, straight-forward story. But the tales are encapsulated in an electronic and pop-rock form that conveys myriad moods, rendering the entire album ready-made for film music supervisors to grab and work into the script they are tweaking at just about any given moment.
—Kelly Dearmore
