Whales are a noise pop slash indie rock outfit from Chicago. They released their second full-length release, Size & Scale, back in August. The album is a mix of genres, from some pretty heavy noise to grungy 90s-style indie rock. Best of all, there’s always a solid bedrock of pop songwriting underpinning things, so it never becomes a self-indulgent rock-fest. Frontwoman Maigin Blank’s vocals are great too, adding a dreamy element to proceedings and cutting through all that rockin’ out with some real blissful grace.
<a href=“http://whalesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/size-and-scale” data-mce-href=“http://whalesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/size-and-scale”>Size and Scale by Whales</a>
To be honest, you can try to pin down genres or namedrop influences all you like, but the best summary I can come up with is that Whales are a proper rock band who are making the music that they want to make. What’s better than that?
Stream the album and then buy as a digital download via the band’s Bandcamp page. Alternatively you can get it on vinyl, with a lovely handmade cover via The Michigan Independents Network.