Noah & The Whale: 'Blue Skies'

When Noah & The Whale released their surprise smash '5 Years Time' last summer, it was all too easy to pigeon-hole them as irritatingly twee students. The mixture of cheery whistling, lyrics about going to the zoo and a generous helping of inane whimsy grated like nails down a blackboard. It really did seem like their brand of sub-Belle & Sebastian folk-pop lacked the substance to last once Edith and Jo stopped plugging them to death on Radio 1.

How wrong could we have been? 'Blue Skies' showcases a very different Noah & The Whale from the one that brought us the Peaceful The World Lays Me Down LP. "This is a song for anyone with a broken heart, this is a song for anyone who can't get out of bed," sings frontman Charlie Fink, without a hint of irony or a chirpy brass section in earshot. Built around a trickle of guitars, soft drum patters and some snugly warm piano, this song opens up the still-sore wounds of a recent relationship breakdown. Once the fragile but optimistic "blue skies are coming" refrain and choir/strings/kitchen sink crescendo kicks in, don't blame yourself if you end up reaching for the tissue box.