British pop-folk outfit Noah and the Whale first caught our eye a few months ago when they released a lovely short film serving as the first-ever trailer for the first-ever film/album hybrid, The First Days of Spring, featuring the track Blue Skies — which is a free download on Amazon today.

Today, the album drops as a limited-edition two-disc set, including a bonus DVD of the film. The release was timed to coincide with the London premiere of the film.

The First Days of Spring was recorded in London and New York with producer Emery Dobyns (Patti Smith, Antony & The Johnsons), and the film was shot on location in London and Surrey, with vocalist Charlie Fink in the director’s chair. An ensemble cast, includes model Daisy Lowe, adds a cherry on top of what’s already an all-around piece of creative genius.

And while the band’s sound is undeniably unique, we sense some of those dreamy, drowsy Magnetic Fields vocals and we can’t get away from the thought that this is exactly what Regina Spektor would sound like if she were a man and played the guitar instead of the piano. Our favorite track: Slow Glass.

Noah and the Whale’s unorthodox hybrid format and release model join the ranks of other indie innovators we’ve featured recently — from The Ditty Bops‘ fantastic pop-out album design, to Jill Sobule‘s clever fan-funded record, to the Darwin Song Project, to They Might Be Giants‘ children’s album. At a time when the music industry is gasping to stay afloat, such creative innovation with the meta-elements of music — presentation, distribution, funding — may well emerge as the most powerful differentiator and game-changer for artists.