Freelance Whales’ Diluvia Ventures Just a Little Too Far Into Outer Space

With the 2009 release of their first album Weathervanes, the Freelance Whales established themselves as an up-and-coming indie-pop band. The Whales, who collectively hail from Queens, N.Y., consist of Judah Dadone (lead vocals) and band mates Doris Cellar, Chuck Criss, Jacob Hyman and Kevin Read. In Weathervanes, the band triumphantly achieved a musical amalgamation of electronic and folk. Songs like “Location” and “We Could Be Friends” epitomized the overarching sounds of the album. Here, eerie multi-part vocal harmonies and the soft use of synthesizer somehow combined to create a serene yet generally upbeat sound.

The Freelance Whales’ sophomore release marks an obvious alternation in their sound. As an album, Diluvia examines the concept of space travel and, according to the band’s press release, the “possible survival—or peril—of space-faring humans and other fantastical scenarios.” Such is evident in their conspicuous use of synthesizer and xylophone, which serve to create otherworldly sounds.

The album’s opening track, “Aeolus,” commences with a chorus of layered “hoos” as the synthesizer melodically rumbles in the background. Judah Dadone’s voice is clear and peaceful as he sings about “circuit boards and spaceships.” There is a repetitive quality to the song, as the choral “hoos” last for the duration of the track. While “Aeolus” clearly exhibits an ethereal sound, the next track is more grounded. “Land Features” harks back to the sounds of the band’s first album with its introductory banjo progression.

Songs like “Spitting Image” showcase the vocal talents of Doris Cellar. Her voice is sweet but projects over the waves of choral “hoos” that are again employed on this track. However, the lyrical repetition is a bit much, and unfortunately this redundancy is a theme that remains constant throughout the album. As a listener, this overall musical motif becomes quite evident by the fifth track. While “Locked Out” begins as an upbeat tune with almost overabundant use of xylophone, it becomes hyper-repetitive. Judah Dadone’s lyrics repeat, “We have the rations to go anywhere,” so many times that the conclusion of the song becomes an utter blur.

“Winter Seeds” is the true gem of the album; it is a redemptive track for the band after the redundancy of “Locked Out.” Here, the band employs an eerie blend of male and female vocals, while the banjo plucks along in soft accompaniment. While sometimes strained, the vocals are ghostlike and serve to create an overall mysterious feeling within the track. “Winter Seeds,” more so than most songs from Diluvia, presents a successful blending of acoustic and electronic sounds without compromise.

While I do applaud the Freelance Whales for their musical growth, there are some glaring aspects of the new album that just cannot be ignored. In an attempt to achieve ethereal and alien-like sounds, the synthesizer takes precedence over vocals and instrumentals alike. While it is successfully used in some tracks (like “Winter Seeds” and “Aeolus”) it soon takes over and becomes the predominant sound of the album. As I listened to Diluvia I found myself yearning for the more grounded sounds of its predecessor. This isn’t to say that the Freelance Whales’ second album is not worth listening to.
However, listeners should be prepared to occasionally skip a track…or two.