The Bell House
Thursday, October 22^nd, 2009
By: Michael Bradshaw
Rating: 9/11

A Korg, a banjo, a watering can, a squeeze box, a xylophone, and four-part harmonization. Opening the Gothamist CMJ showcase, Freelance Whales tripped, stuttered, and stumbled. They are not the perfect band. Not yet.

Though they may not yet be the unbelievably brilliant and talented band they surely will be (soon), Freelance Whales love the music they make. You can feel it the chime spangled cadences, the plaintive crescendos of guitar, and the choral climaxes, enviable even to angels. The five members switch instruments often. Even the watering can moved from the front of the stage to its place attached to the drum kit by the end of the set.

They may shutter like a nervous lover when the lights first dim, but when the right moment takes hold, Freelance Whales' passion for music is realized perfectly.

Front man Judah Dadone announced their final song was about falling in love with the ghost that haunts your childhood home. He could have been as easily describing how Freelance Whales wants you to feel about their music. He's not far off.