Last Night on Earth
by Noah and the Whale
  • Record Label: Mercury
  • Release Date: Mar 15, 2011
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26
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  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Mar 14, 2011
    73
    While fans of the band's previous albums might find fault in Last Night on Earth's less cluttered, electronica-tinged songwriting, it is Fink's simple songs and flexible voice that carry the most enjoyment.
  2. AllMusic
    Mar 15, 2011
    70
    At times, the band appears single-minded in its determination to turn over a new rock, and the album suffers whenever Last Night on Earth focuses on presentation -- the polished production, the overdubbed handclaps -- instead of content.
  3. BBC Music
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    This one bristles with a sense of hope and possibility.
  5. Clash Music
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    It won't be everyone's cup of tea but this could well be a guilty pop pleasure for many.
  6. Delusions of Adequacy
    Mar 11, 2011
    70
    The record sounds tailored for mass consumption, which means every song packs a melodic doozie and indomitably contrived storylines about soldiering on while our world threatens to spin off its axis.
  7. Dot Music
    Mar 14, 2011
    70
    Far from Noah & The Whale lagging behind their popular folk peers, with Last Night On Earth the band are finally punching above their weight to create a sound that's altogether new and wholly theirs.
  8. Drowned In Sound
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    With Last Days on Earth, the persistently-versatile Noah continue to set to music those picturebooks of get-togethers, easy plateaus and break-ups that we've all got stored in our heads and add to year-on-year – and, in the process, they've managed to forge some great big tunes. More or less irresistible.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Mar 11, 2011
    83
    Fink's still a thoughtful guy with angst to spare but his new tunes inch happily toward pop.
  10. Filter
    Mar 16, 2011
    76
    Once again British indie-folksters Noah and the Whale have outdone themselves and created a beautiful, inspiring album that differs from their previous two releases while at the same time maintaining classic, familiar characteristics.
  11. Mojo
    Apr 22, 2011
    80
    It's a near-total reinvention, and a triumph. [Apr 2011, p.98]
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  12. musicOMH.com
    Mar 11, 2011
    70
    Essentially this is an album about escapism, whether it's from a city (as in Tonight's The Kind Of Night) or the place in life that these characters find themselves.
  13. New Musical Express (NME)
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    They've made a sincere, unironic record about how great life can be if you want it to be.
  14. Q Magazine
    May 2, 2011
    80
    A high-risk strategy, then, but one that largely succeeds thanks to Fink's languid delivery. [Apr 2011, p.103]
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  15. Spin
    Mar 11, 2011
    70
    Pairing dreamy synths and tight riffs, the result is confident and exhilarating.
  16. The A.V. Club
    Mar 15, 2011
    83
    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.
  17. The Guardian
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    One might have feared the results of this latest iteration, but Last Night on Earth is a sparkling piece of work.
  18. The Independent (UK)
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    Overall, a confident, clear-headed quantum leap beyond their previous work.
  19. The Telegraph (UK)
    Mar 11, 2011
    80
    Heartfelt, spirited, lyrical, moody and mostly magnificent pop rock.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. drogba47
    Nov 3, 2011
    8
    this is an album that grew on me overtime at first i was extremely disappointed as it went away from NatW earlier sounds but after a couple ofthis is an album that grew on me overtime at first i was extremely disappointed as it went away from NatW earlier sounds but after a couple of listens it turned into a personal favorite of mine… Full Review »
  2. Ojaybee
    May 1, 2011
    8
    I don't get it. At all. I should hate this. But for some reason I can't stop listening to it. It's like taking a stroll through my ownI don't get it. At all. I should hate this. But for some reason I can't stop listening to it. It's like taking a stroll through my own childhood. I liked NATW's first album. The second I haven't given enough time but it seems too self indulgent to bother with. This is a complete departure. But it's weirdly good. I laughed openly the first time I heard it. But now I kind of crave it. Musically there's nothing new but that's part of the charm. It'll be interesting to see where Noah and the Whale go next.… Full Review »
  3. Rossy
    Mar 28, 2011
    10
    No it's not like their previous efforts and yes this may scare off some fans but it has some amazing lyrics and is the best albums of the yearNo it's not like their previous efforts and yes this may scare off some fans but it has some amazing lyrics and is the best albums of the year so far in my opinion. Tom Petty lives on and Charlie Fink is an excellent custodian.… Full Review »
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