Freelance Whales
Diluvia
4 stars
Rock
Freelance Whales’ second album, Diluvia, accentuates a playful maturity that doesn’t diverge from its original sound, but emphasizes cohesiveness in its music.
The album begins with the hypnotic “Aeolus”, whose mystic choir and symphonic ripples automatically grabs the listener.
Whales’ songs undulate from upbeat “Spitting Image” to the ethereal sounds of “Land Features,” which introduces the constant up and down in song type and style that prevails throughout the whole album.
The vocal mixture of Judah Dadone and Doris Cellar in “Red Star” invites an esoteric experience, as well as insists the listener enter the world of Freelance Whales.
“The Nothing” is one of the band’s more conventional sounding songs. It has an eclectic mix of percussion mixed with symphonic water droplets and waves.
“DNA Bank” shows a more solemn and subdued side of Whales that the rest of the album’s magical qualities don’t possess. Whales’ composition of thought-provoking lyrics makes this one of the strongest songs on Diluvia.
Listening through all of Diluvia can feel strenuous because of its repetitive synthesized themes. Still, with Freelance Whales’ use of horns, banjos and mandolins, the listener is taken through a maritime-inspired journey that demands listeners’ attention.
— Alexandria Agbaje
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