![1298920202 noah and the whale [mp3] Noah and the Whale // Tonights the Kind of Night (RAC Mix)](http://tympanogram.com/files/1298920202_noah-and-the-whale.jpg "[mp3] Noah and the Whale // Tonights the Kind of Night (RAC Mix)")
I rarely judge an album by its cover, but that is exactly what I did with Noah and the Whale’s debut, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. I was in the throes of a huge Iron & Wine binge, and the album’s cover art stuck out at me as if I’d found a misplaced, long-lost treasure from Sam Beam. Buyer’s regret set in on my ride home–what the hell was I thinking buying something from a band that I hadn’t even heard of, let alone listened to? Well, I got pretty damn lucky with that purchase, because as soon as the descending picking began to play on “2 Atoms in a Molecule,” I became fully invested.
I was a big fan of the acoustic, harmonic folk, with fun quirks inserted throughout the debut album. On The First Days of Spring (2009), a more mature, complete sound emerged that was good, but it just wasn’t quite as enjoyable as the spirit that Peaceful embodied.
Good thing Andre Allen Anjos and Remix Artist Collective (RAC) got their hands on some of Noah and the Whale’s work. We received ”Tonight’s the Kind of Night (RAC Mix)” in our submissions and it turned out to be a very fun listen that continues the group’s string of quality work. I have not heard Noah and the Whale’s newest album, Last Night on Earth (2011), but I did give the original version of this song a whirl, and I have to say that this mix does wonders for it.
[mp3] Noah and the Whale // Tonight’s the Kind of Night (RAC Mix)
While Noah and the Whale’s version is enjoyable, poppy and rock-based, RAC’s mix infuses the tribal-folk influences that the song is screaming for. It opens with staccato notes from a flute and ukulele, but it’s when the kick drum enters that we are treated to a song that overflows with optimism and pure joy. There’s strong influences present from Paul Simon’s Graceland, especially within the instrumentation and catchy hooks. I really wish that this was the original version. If that were the case, I would definitely look into the rest of the album, but for now I’ll enjoy this mix.
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This is the first week that there is a strong contingent of Christmas albums being released. Last week was the first time I’d noticed any being released, and this week they are starting to build. I’m going to get this out of the way right now and say that I have no interest in posting the Christmas releases, so you won’t see them here. There’s really only one album everyone should own for the holidays anyway – Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. Get that one and leave it there.
