Noah and the Whale Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down Noah and the Whale are almost to indie for their own good. The band is named after Noah Baumbach and his film The Squid and the Whale and they quote Wes Anderson films in their myspace blogs. Not to mention the fact that they’re from London, which gives them automatic indie cred. Most notably, however, their newest record Peacful the World Lays Me Down sounds like a cosmic merger of great indie bands from the past. The epic horn arrangements of Shape of my Heart bring classic Neutral Milk Hotel to mind and the slow stomping of Give a Little Love sounds like a never released collaboration between Belle & Sebastian and Jimmy Eat World, climaxing with even more horns accompanied with kettle drum. Although the record is often reminiscent of classic indie rock music, it is by no means a rehashing of past great records. The instrumentation is especially refreshing and ripe with unconventional instruments. From the ukulele plucking of 5 Years Time to the country fiddle of Second Lover to the diminutive glockenspiel and bluegrassy violin of Rocks and Daggers, Noah and the Whale never shy away from breaking the mold of what instruments have a place in pop music. The standout song of the record is the penultimate track Mary. Despite lacking the grandiose instrumentation of most of the songs on the album, it is a sweet and sincere song of an imperfect relationship with an imperfect girl. Other noteworthy tracks are Shape of my Heart, 2 Atoms in a Molecule and Give a Little Love. All together the record is a must have for fans of the classic indie sound. A- -Michael W. Kearney