Touring in support of their brilliant new album Diluvia, New York’s Freelance Whales chalked up a stellar performance in front of a sold out crowd at The Mezzanine.
The band achieved critical acclaim with their debut album Weathervanes in 2009, in tandem with their banjo infused, hipster approved, accessible indie pop songcraft. Twitter users may recall hearing Freelance Whales when they were selected as the soundtrack music to the video introduction for “New Twitter” in September of 2010.
Diluvia was released on October 9th, and while it’s a slight departure from the pop sensibilities of the band’s debut, it’s a progressive step in the right direction. Given the instrumentation and lush vocals happening on record, one would question if the band can reproduce their songs live. In this case, they absolutely can. Live, you can start to see the band really pushing the limits of what they are capable of pulling off in the studio.
The band’s setlist featured favorites from Weathervanes including “Generator-First Floor” and “Hannah.” These two songs in particular are, in my opinion, the band’s finest moments and in a live setting, it’s where they really shine. It’s like seeing the Avett Brothers with a full choir and ultra lush synthesizers.
Lead vocalist Judah Dadone and multi-instrumentalist Doris Cellar have an obvious chemistry live and complement each other’s moves. Their harmonies are incredibly dialed in, and they feed off one another’s energy, cracking smiles at each other often throughout the set.
“Spitting Image” from the new album could be the most adventurous indie pop song of 2012 from a band quite capable of creating a unique sound that is all their own.
While I do love the direction of the new album, it is indeed a gamble to go in a more experimental vein rather than to simply embrace the incredibly catchy pop and playfulness of their debut.
If it’s a case of moving forward too quickly and giving fans an unexpected jolt without any type of warning, time will tell—or relentless touring will tell. Regardless, theirs is a fantastic live show and an impressive sophomore effort from a band that embraces its own path.
Did you see the show? What are your thoughts on Diluvia vs. Weathervanes? Join the conversation in the comments below!
