Noah Earle

Many confront the task of letting go of a sordid past and moving forward in life (unsavory as that process may be). Local songwriter Noah Earle’s latest release, This Is the Jubilee, feeds off that spirit of rejuvenation. His lyrics embrace liberation from the past and immersion in life and love. (Yes, some people still write silly, little love songs.) Paradoxically, Earle’s celebratory Jubilee is primarily made up of introspective acoustic numbers, but he also shakes in some jazzy Latin rhythms along with trumpet and bongo, then eases in a little graceful cello for emotional depth. Though Earle owes a lot to Damien Rice in his instrumental approach, his bossa nova inflections add a summery lightheartedness that keeps his musings from syrupy sweetness. If, occasionally, his folk tunes don’t bear up under heavy-handed sentimentality, there’s enough light, joyful songwriting to keep Jubilee afloat.