The Freelance Whales, the American indie group, released their sophomore effort Diluvia today. The album successfully builds on their previous effort, creating a delightfully dreamy collection of 11 electro-indie pop tracks that fans of the band, as well as a hopefully larger audience, will love.

Fans of the band, which gained acclaim through the moderate success of the song “Generator ^ First Floor,” the single from their previous release Weathervanes in 2011, will be pleased to hear the album is definitely a grower. Listen after listen creates an intimate relationship with the band and the tracks they have released on Diluvia.

The opener, “Aeolus,” sets the tone for the album, eschewing some of the more organic elements of the past iteration of the Freelance Whales in favor of a beat more firmly grounded in electro, à la The Postal Service. The hypnotic sound helps foster the dreamy, wistful atmosphere the band clearly sought to create.

“Land Features,” the second track, counters with the signature sound of the band’s banjo, backed by rolling snare and crisp vocals by lead singer Judah Dadone and bassist Doris Cellar, who create chilling harmonies together.

The album has the unmistakable feel of something produced in the 1980s; the earnest lyrics coupled with the slow tempo synth create a cool, familiar nostalgia on tracks like “Follow Through” and “Emergence Exit.” This revivalist sound, however, can be found throughout the album and has been executed to great effect.

“Dig Into Waves” makes use of the children’s nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Rosy” to create a clever tune and interesting lyrical construct. The rolling tempo and familiar structure give a relaxed feeling to the song, allowing the sound to roll over listeners much like an ocean wave would.

Trumpets make a surprising, but welcome appearance in tracks like “Locked Out” and “Red Star,” tracks dominated by their repetitive electro beat. The brass effectively breaks up the monotony on tracks that would otherwise have quickly lost their appeal.

Eerie vocals on “Winter Seeds” recalls the musical styling of the Freelance Whales as they were, yet this song appears the weakest on the album. The unremarkable lyrics and singular sound make this the least memorable track.

Slow finger picking on the banjo initiates and ends the song “DNA Bank”; the airy melodies leave enough space for the lyrics to truly shine on this track. “Slip it in the human sea/Our DNA on a boat in the Euphrates,” sings Dadone.

The single in the form of “Spitting Image” takes the most upbeat and natural approach, using Cellar’s breathy female vocals, reminiscent of Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura, and creating a song that could easily slip into any indie rom com’s soundtrack and feel comfortable.

Diluvia represents progression for the Freelance Whales as they achieve success on their second album. The revivalist feeling and the increased electro presence on the record helped to define the band and set themselves apart from any other indie band trying to make it. With each listen, Diluvia will slowly become an album people will adore.