I was too young to listen to Great White Whale when it was first released in 2008. I remember, though, being about 14 and seeing the music video for “XOXOXO” and being utterly intrigued by Secret & Whisper.

Since that first experience with “XOXOXO”, both of Secret & Whisper’s albums have become staples of mine. I look back at the release of Great White Whale with fondness, because they’re one of the bands that helped me form my own taste in music.

My parents listened to a lot of acoustic music – James Taylor, Marc Cohn, etc. They’re also very conservative when it comes to music and that’s mostly what I grew up with. I was about 13 when I got my first “hard rock” album. It was Innocence and Instinct by the rock band Red. That, along with bands like Relient K, started me on a path of music discovery.

Because of Secret & Whisper, I became an avid follower of label Tooth and Nail Records, coming in toward the end of what I consider to be the label’s “golden age.” Bands like Underoath, Emery and Anberlin are still favorites to this day, as well as smaller bands like Secret & Whisper and Number One Gun.

My parents weren’t a huge fan of me listening to rock and alternative music, so I guess I used Secret & Whisper as a sort of compromise. Great White Whale leaned on heavy guitars and post-hardcore breakdowns while forgoing harsh, screaming vocals that would have certainly been deemed controversial. Charles Finn’s singing voice is about the opposite of harsh, actually. As far as I’m concerned, he’s still unmatched as one of the best vocalists to come from the scene.

Even aside from what it means to me, personally, I believe Great White Whale is underrated, showcasing early signs of a talented and unique band. That originality, of course, means it wasn’t everyone’s favorite album, but it sounded so interesting and new to me that I fell in love with it. I have yet to find a band that’s given me that same feeling. (I’m sure that’s partly due to the teenage angst though.)

A decade later, I believe Great White Whale still holds up as one of the most unappreciated ventures in recent rock history. Interesting lyricism with a real storytelling aspect, complicated musical composition, and soaring vocals are an example of what made a band like Secret & Whisper so great.

The rock genre allows artists to experiment in virtually any way they want. The only downfall to Secret & Whisper is that this was their first of only two albums. The band would take an indefinite hiatus in 2011 after the release of Teenage Fantasy – a break that continues to this day. Maybe they’ve kept a tiny sparkle of their potential alive and will release more music for us to enjoy one day. In the meantime, Great White Whale remains a great catch.

by Nadia Paiva

Nadia Paiva has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.