Noah and the Whale @ Fat Sam's, 24 Oct

Judging them on a purely cosmetic level, one could make the mistake of thinking Noah and the Whale had somehow crossed into the third dimension from a classic kids cartoon: The group consistently dress in similar outfits - eye-catching blue-and-yellow - and those exposed to the duo-chromatic crew’s music are unlikely to shake their sugary melodies.

However, those expecting a carefree folk-pop love affair may be in for a surprise, as the Whale’s recently released debut album treads serious ground. “It’s meant to be written as an optimistic record, even though there’s some bleak subject matter,” frontman Charlie Fink says of Peaceful the World Lays Me Down.

Starting off two years ago in Greater London, and swelling from a three-piece to a live entourage of seven, the group has garnered radio airplay, and with the charted singles Shape of My Heart and 5 Years Time – the latter featuring fellow folkie and sometime member Laura Marling – have become one of the most talked-about British bands of 2008.

Listeners to the band’s debut may note the perennial themes of death and recurring mentions of love, which Fink agrees are main points of the LP. “The album should be a coherent piece, and the songs should all relate somehow. I’m not saying that’s the best method, but that’s the way I like to do it. There are themes and vocabulary that are consistent.”

Though all the Whale’s songs go through the aforementioned triumvirate at the hub of the band, plus bassist and harmonium-tender Matt Urby, Fink principally generates much of their written repertoire from his own life experiences. Now that these feelings and emotions are committed to an album, “It’s a cheesy thing to say,” he admits, “but if I could play those songs to the person I was just before writing them – when I was struggling with those issues – they could have changed my perspectives, relieved me of some of those fears.”

It’s apparent in talking to Fink that he takes his music seriously, and though infectious singles like 5 Years Time and a snappy wardrobe may lure in fans, it’s a good bet the Whale’s deeper waters will be what keeps them biting. [Jason Morton]