The First Days Of Spring
by Noah and the Whale
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. musicOMH.com
    40
    At the moment, though, it appears as though this is one twee-pop album that simply doesn't pop.
  2. Pitchfork
    52
    As a lyricist, Fink's too reliant on indistinct yearn, and while you might relate to some of Spring's bummed-out bromide, Fink's moping seems too scopic to hit anyone very deep for very long. Sometimes you just put it in a letter.
  3. PopMatters
    50
    There’s just enough mediocre material that slips through to make The First Days of Spring more of a curiosity, an almost-successful experiment, rather than something truly remarkable.
  5. Prefix Magazine
    50
    As a document to a breakup, it's all a bit middling and lifeless. Sadness is one thing, but it's spring for Noah and the Whale. Where's the color?
  6. The Guardian
    60
    Despite its shortcomings, The First Days of Spring marks a welcome escape from such labels as "quirky" and "twee", with a musical maturity that requires only an equivalent lyrical magic to amount to something truly special.
  7. Uncut
    60
    Ambitious, orchestral and accompanied by a 45-minute film, it candidly documents singer Charlie Fink’s recovery from a badly broken heart.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 36
  3. Negative: 2 out of 36
  1. XavierBlaq
    Jan 10, 2014
    10
    After a lackluster debut with Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, Noah and the Whale returns with what might be the ultimate break-up album.After a lackluster debut with Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, Noah and the Whale returns with what might be the ultimate break-up album. Going from total sadness and longing in the brilliant title-track to the eventual "moving on" phase in "Blue Skies" and "My Door is Always Open," The Last Days of Spring is the perfect diagram of the emotional turmoil following heartbreak. Every song adds to this overall feeling of the process of getting over love, with massive amounts of drama pumped into every song. One warning: if you enjoyed their debut album, this album is vastly different, and at times even leaves the realm of folk music in the depiction of emotional turmoil, something that may not be a welcome change for you. However, I still recommend you try this album, as you might be surprised and find something even better.… Full Review »
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