By Chandra Johnson
Tucked in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the famous Mercury Lounge welcomed Ohio natives, The Lighthouse and The Whaler on Friday night.
The smaller venue provided a rather intimate setting for the indie pop foursome, whose music leans towards a Vampire Weekend sound that’s infused with a dash of SoCal dreamy melodies. I took a particular notice to the little stuffed cat the band had resting next to the xylophone on stage, which made me think not only are these guys immensely talented, but they don’t necessarily take themselves too seriously.
Playing a majority of songs off of their album, This is an Adventure, released September 18th, these Whaler’s weren’t limited to just one instrument as they passed off guitars and drumsticks like it was a track and field hand off. Their song ‘Venice’ begins with a consistent piano beat that slightly resembles the sound of a carnival, but then lyrics like, “In your eyes, I have seen/All the feelings and the rains/And death is cold, death is sure/Why don’t we fall in love?” begins and it’s enough to induce some toe-tapping and heart flipping.
Listening to The Lighthouse and The Whaler play their set was like falling in love because it’s hard to put into words the rush of emotion and happiness exuding out of you after hearing songs like ‘Pioneers’ and ‘We’ve Got the Most.’
They’ve already shared the stage with musical acts like The Temper Trap and Sufjan Stevens, but within the next coming year I predict even bigger things for this band, reminding us that they’re ones to watch.
Posted on October 29, 2012 by chandraliz
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