Freelance Whales - "Weathervanes"

Although it has been out for some time digitally, today marks the physical release of Weathervanes, the debut by Freelance Whales. Using a pawn shop worth of instruments and layers of vocals and melodies, they have made a debut as interesting and engaging as anything to be released this year.

Album opener “Generator ^ First Floor” provides a great introduction to their multi-layered eclectic sound combining jaunty banjo picking and twinkling glockenspiel with swelling harmonium and stacks of sweet vocal melodies. “Hannah” is built on a bubbly synth pattern and a hip-hop inspired vocal cadence, providing one of the catchier moments on the album. “Location” features a throbbing beat, a stair-stepping banjo solo, and lush vocal harmonies. The upbeat Postal Service-like “Starring” has a stuttering beat and glimmering keyboards and glockenspiel, mixed with more banjo and an instantly memorable chorus. Standout track “Kilojoules” is bouncy and poppy before fading into an elegantly dreamy outro to end the song. “Broken Horse” is slower-paced and filled to the brim with instrumentation with a hazy but plush arrangement. “Danse Flat” one of the various instrumental interludes sounds like wind chimes on the back porch during a relaxing day. Buzzing electronics, feedback drenched guitars and trickling glockenspiel make up the haunting “Ghosting”. And “Generator ^ Second Floor” weaves the various instruments into tight patterns with light, sweet vocals and a sing along chorus. “The Great Estates” closes the album at an easy-going pastoral pace with banjo and rafters-reaching ringing guitars, keyboards and voices, bringing the album to a triumphant end.

Much like the current indie music landscape, Freelance Whales blurs the lines of classification on their excellent debut, touching on Sufjan Stevens' organic Americana, The Postal Service's machine-made masterpieces and everything in between for a fully formed sound all their own.


Download "Generator 2nd Floor" here: http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/singles/FreelanceWhales_Generator_2nd_Floor.mp3.zip

Check out the video for "Generator 2nd Floor" here: http://artstgermain.com/movies/FW_4APR.mov

For more info click here: www.myspace.com/freelancewhales and http://www.freelancewhales.com/ and http://www.frenchkissrecords.com/