Enzymes (from Green Label Sound) - Freelance Whales (Free Download)
Last Wednesday night, Freelance Whales came home for the last show of their tour, a fact that was repeatedly stated with glowing appreciation to an excited and tightly-packed crowd. Not too long ago, Chuck Criss (banjo, bass, synth, guitar, bell, vocals, organs) mentioned, the band was playing their gigs in the subway to anyone who would listen. Since then, New York has certainly learned to appreciate this band in a way their talent deserves.
Each time the band began playing the opening notes of a song, the crowd would elicit passionate cries of excitement, showing not just the “oh, I know this one” recognition but the “This is my song!” feeling (evidence in the video link). It was “Generator 1st Floor” that earned the most screaming satisfaction from the audience, but it was the set-closing “Generator 2nd Floor” climax that set the crowd over the top and into united motion.
For me, though, the subtleties of their dynamics and creative shifts in many of the songs were what truly stood out. With the band members seeming to share a collective brain, the set contained a looseness that let the music feel open, creative, and fresh while keeping their movements in perfect unison. Perhaps this was best displayed in “Ghosting”, which had the band physically bouncing between almost perfect stillness in the quiet sections and around the stage during the explosions of sound like a dance with their instruments.
Unlike bands who try so hard to be something they’re not, Freelance Whales seems to believe in and enjoy the music they play best. This enables a riff like the synth in “Enzymes” to be more than just a repeated series of notes, but instead a melody filled with feeling and dedication. This kind of enthusiasm, which is evidence of something more than just great musicianship, is what causes those little moments of magic, and turned the closing lyrics of ‘Generator 2nd Floor’- “Don’t fix my smile, life is long enough. We will put this flesh into the ground again” from a vague chorus to something deep and unavoidable that grabbed the attention of the room. Clearly they’re doing something right to bring the crowd, including myself, so fully into every song.
