ahoy, matey!

photo by Jennifer Esperanza

Forget the elephant in the room, look for the Whale

By Joe Collier (former Music Editor, Flagstaff LIVE!; Lumpen)

If you’re thinking about drawing comparisons between Santa Fe male/female rockers Hidden Whale and the now-defunct former poster children of power duos the White Stripes—shut the fuck up right now. Pack up your earbuds, turn off your iPod nano, turn down your collar, finish your fro-yo and GET THE FUCK OUT! Not that there aren’t any to be drawn, of course. It’s just so, well… gauche.

Hidden Whale is Jim Goulden and Angela Gabriel. Like all the truly great Rockers, they are, of course, married. There’s something about that level of conjugal bliss that invents its own communication; it doesn’t take a musical genius—even the casual listener who generally considers whatever music’s playing as a form of audible wallpaper is perfectly able to feel the spooky syncopation of Hidden Whale’s particular style. It’s like marrying each other wasn’t enough for these two fun-loving musical oddballs; they had to marry a predilection for sweet beats to a potent vocal/guitar mix, too. Thank fuck for that.

Those familiar with Goulden’s other band The Gluey Brothers will be pleased to discover that much of the sarcastic sharpness and off-kilter wit he injected there also shows up in HW tracks like “Cell Phone” and “I’m With the Band.” Vocally the two trade off, Goulden’s slightly nasal twang contrasting pleasantly with Gabriel’s sweeter tone (showcased nicely on “Hidden Truth”). Dirty guitar licks sometimes recall an almost Weezer-like fuzziness, but anchored by Gabriel’s solid, concise drumming it tends to go more towards funkiness than indie shoe-gazing territory. Infusing the sound on a basic level is both Goulden’s and Gabriel’s Afro-Pop interest/influence. The bouncy slickness of tracks like “Medication Time” really shows this off, and helps lend the Hidden Whale live experience a (not unexpected) penchant for heavy grooves.

Check them out HERE