Genre Analysis

Tomahawk of Praise by indie/friendship folk-pop band, Those Lavender Whales, is a testament to the folk genre in many ways. It employs the same genre mixing quality and spirit of reinvention as many other folk albums. The native cries, clapping, and other obscure hoots and hollers in their songs are reminiscent almost of the freak folk genre, but the powerfully unifying lyrics remind one more of a sort of innocent campfire folk. The instrumentation is mostly subtle which creates an emphasis more on the voice and the overall sound than just the instruments. They mostly use guitar, some banjo, and simplistic vocals to create their desired sound. The riffs are usually very calm and simple and rarely do they become rough, tense, or full of turmoil. They are obviously influenced by folk artists similar to bands like The Head And The Heart, Iron & Wine, and with the same fun energy as Ben Folds. What they bring to the table as a folk-pop band consists of strong messages of friendship and morality, the importance of community, and a sound that is able to bring you back to that childlike state of mind you possessed many years ago. This is an enlightening twist on the genre because it allows the kind of hopeful optimism of children to penetrate the grind of every day existence as an adult. This music, like the music that has come before it, is full of life and fun, but integrates clever cute lyrics and some interesting interjections of sound in many of their songs. I admire their willingness to stick to a theme, but essentially create this friendship based, culture mixing, and genre hopping sound. Using the Native American references in the album to inject some native culture into their instrumentation was a smart choice. Although I do not think they have redefined the folk-pop genre, I do think they take a unique approach with their lyricism and their mixed instrumentation. I feel that their first album Pilgrims, Friends & Blood Ties takes a slightly more unique approach to folk-pop than their second, however I believe that Tomahawk of Praise has many a redeeming quality.  The fact that I have only just heard of this band and have only just started listening to this album has made it difficult to completely categorize their music, but why would I want to do that? Music is not just to be categorized into genres but to add new meaning to life and create new pieces of auditory art to appreciate. Should we really label art down to the last brushstroke? I think not. Those Lavender Whales take a genre that has been gaining popularity in recent years and made it their own. They know their story and are prepared to share it with the world. They are brave, employing elements of experimental folk to spice up their music. To lean toward the world of freak folk is to have courage, especially because of the rise in folk-pop popularity and the urge to conform to society’s standards of popular music.