Freelance Whales
VIMTV Album Review #533: Freelance Whales – Diluvia
Jake: 80/100
Tom: 83/100
Verdict: An unexpected shift in sound and great songwriting– this is an album that may take a few listens, but is well worth the effort.
Overview: Mmmm….You smell that? That’s the smell of indie pop band that knows what they are doing. Freelance Whales give us their sophomore album Diluvia, building upon the poppy-yet-progressive sound on their 2009 debut, Weathervanes. Diluvia is slower and smarter. The songs are better paced and the intensity more controlled. The sound pallet has shifted to include a more new wave sound (circa M83), but Freelance Whales do well to keep it sounding original. Many of these songs impressed us in their expansiveness and maturity, however we did feel the album wasn’t quite as strong during the second half. If you like aesthetic indie pop music that does more than deliver a catchy hook, check this one out.
Jake’s Track Picks:
- 3. Follow Through
- 4. Spitting Image
- 6. Dig Into Waves
Tom’s Track Picks:
- 1. Aeolus
- 3. Follow Through
- 6. Dig Into Waves
- 8. Winter Seeds
- 10. DNA Bank
VIMTV Episode #128: Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
Jake: Highly Recommended, 93/100
Tom: Highly Recommended, 88/100
This one is dedicated to Brandon Kester who showed us this awesome band way before anyone else heard of them. Thanks B!
Overview: This album blew away our expectations. On Weathervanes, Freelance Whales take your traditional indie pop album and songwriting and inject with a background story providing not only an ample supply of good lyrics (which take a bit to get used to), but one hell of a nicely arranged listening experience. This is morning music for sure, and will hopefully be the start of slew of additional albums from Freelance Whales that brighten up the indie pop scene.
Recommended Similar Artists: Andrew Bird, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, The Postal Service
Jake’s Track Picks:
- 2. Hannah
- 3. Location
- 12. Generator ^ Second Floor
- 13. The Great Estates
Tom’s Track Picks:
- 1. Generator ^ First Floor
- 5. Starring
- 10. We Could Be Friends
VIMTV Research Links:
Listen to Weathervanes here!!!
Freelance Whales’s “Generator ^ 1st Floor on NPR
I’m so happy you guys publicly praised this album, it was kind of a guilty pleasure for me because of all other reviews I’ve read… I have this album in my CD collection and it is really beautiful!