Noah and the Whale and Anni Rossi use old tricks in memorable debuts

April 25, 2009, at the Empty Bottle

By Selena Fragassi
Published: April 28th, 2009 | 8:25am

You could call it a comeback. Or so Noah and the Whale and opener Anni Rossi would want you to think as they spent Saturday evening reintroducing a series of classic hits (sweet-sounding violas and fiddles) and ’90s misses (Ace of Base covers and talk of Michael Jordan’s Space Jam) to Chicago’s Empty Bottle in an off-kilter set that also introduced both artists’ debut albums.

Rossi started the night in a solo concierto with just herself, a viola, and a suitcase to see her through. Dressed all in black save her white cowboy boots, Rossi spent her entire set perched atop the vinyl suitcase, stomping her feet in a soldier’s march that was picked up by the hidden speaker inside to produce an organic percussion. The Chicago native had a serious aptitude for mental concentration as she simultaneously played her viola in perfect form and sang to an audience who was just as captivated with her physical spectacle as they were with her unique sound.

Sticking mostly to material from her Steve Albini–produced debut Rockwell (4AD), the night showcased her pretty vocal hiccup akin to a Regina Spektor or Ani DiFranco and a whistling knack that would be envied by Andrew Bird. Her standout songs “Machine,” “The West Coast,” and even a cover of Ace of Base’s “Living in Danger” were inspired melodies that were given the glossy finish with the resonance of her fast-paced, moody string arrangements.

Noah and the Whale tied up Rossi’s loose strings with a set that was likewise heavy on the fiddle, which was the perfect sensual accompaniment to lead singer Charlie Fink’s Lou Reed-esque baritone that tried to mimic the male-female duality on the recording of their debut, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down (Cherrytree). Obviously missing were the female vocals of two previous members (including the lovely Laura Marling) whose departure is rumored to have inspired the album’s theme of heartbreak.

But for the four-man outfit that was left, it seemed no bother as they gleefully careened through a solid set that was as charmingly played as it was heard. Noah and the Whale — albeit named after the twisted combination of director Noah Baumbach and his film The Squid and the Whale — clearly is a band that enjoys playing together, especially on compulsive jam sessions that were just as strong instrumentally as the tracks that featured Fink’s magnetic vocals. Although the audience was most excited about “2 Atoms in a Molecule,” the real high notes of the night were “Jocasta,” “Give a Little Love,” and “Mary,” which Fink admitted he had played in the wrong key just the day before and had to ask the bass player for the Cliff Notes before embarrassing himself in Chicago.

As they joked about their generically favorite things in Chicago: Michael Jordan (“The Space Jam soundtrack helped mold our sound”), pizza, and The Blues Brothers, it was hard to escape the fact that, on this night, the city’s best attraction was already on stage.