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In the Belly of the Whale

Like Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale — the 2005 film that inspired its name — Noah and the Whale work some tunes that are equal parts bitter and sweet.

The British folk-rockers showcase lead singer Charlie Fink’s manic-depressive approach to a tune on their debut, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down (out today). Bright arrangements balance weighty narratives as catchy as they are unnerving. Spry fiddles and accordions contrast a mother's grief in the Oedipus-referencing "Jacosta." Love goes to its grave in "Hold My Hand as I'm Lowered" — a stark ballad for which Coldplay's Chris Martin would burn his Make Trade Fair membership. Even the lightest track sneaks in some darkness: over a hand-clapping chorus of “Sun, sun, sun!/Love, love, love!,” Fink concedes that passion, no matter how ardent, expires in “5 Years Time.” Through it all, Laura Marling's lovely purr adds elegant counterpoint to Fink's plaintive baritone.

We're not gonna candy-coat it for you: You want froth, turn on the radio. You want drama, rent the movie. But for some deep, challenging music, Noah and Whale’s Fink is your man.


Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is available today from Interscope/Cherrytree Records.