Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. They have done a hell of a lot of growing up. An immense album.
  2. The quiet simplicity of these songs is better suited to Fink’s lone voice, clear without a jumble of voices and complex harmonies, strengthening the continuity of the storytelling.
  3. This is a beautiful album. Moving rather than maudlin, uplifting rather than depressing.
  4. Mojo
    80
    "This is a song for anyone with a broken heart," Fink sings on 'Blue Skies' and the break-up album of the year is complete. [Sep 2009, p.98]
  5. However maudlin Noah & The Whale begin, then, there's a wonderful narrative here that sees them move from first-love blues, through resentment to healing and finally to acceptance.
  6. Heartbreak can tear a songwriter to shreds, but it serves the opposite purpose here, lending a sense of vulnerability to Fink's baritone and adding some much-needed drama to the band's music, which previously concerned itself with twee-styled progressions and summery melodies.
  7. 76
    The First Days of Spring falls in the gentle, folky space between Belle & Sebastian and It’s Jo and Danny, but manages to carve out a singular place for itself with thoughtful lyricism and artful songwriting.
  8. It’s an intriguing record brimming with solid songs that only loses step by keeping to a narrow path.
  9. Under The Radar
    70
    The First Days Of Spring has a wonderful orchestral bent, with many tracks graced by symphonic backing that brings welcome grandeur without succumbing to cloying melodrama. [Fall 2009, p.59]
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 36
  2. Negative: 2 out of 36
  1. 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 »