For the most part, this five-song EP would sound right at home tacked on the to end of their dazzling self-titled debut released earlier this year, as it continues in the same vein as their previous material with minimal aesthetic differences. However, what few differences there are are rather significant. Things are more stylized this time around. There’s a newfound crispness, less reverb, tauter melodies – all of which allow those sparkling synths a little extra breathing room. The Pains manage to soundtrack the melodrama of fledgling relationships with even bouncier aplomb. Yet all the while they maintain the dreamy pop beauty of their debut, which endeared them to us in the first place.

Higher Than the Stars kicks off with the title track, a frenetic blast of scrambled keyboards and sharp riffs. It’s followed by “103,” a snappy two minutes of by-the-numbers indie rock we’ve come to expect from the band. Up next is “Falling Over,” which is among the standouts with menacing guitar and a he-said/she-said boy/girl chorus. Meanwhile, “Twins” perpetuates the lovelorn melancholia with the deceptively upbeat melody and defeatist lyricism, with the refrain of “everything that’s good is gone.” And while nothing here is much of a drastic departure from the Pains we’ve come to love, it’s imbued with a greater confidence – no doubt the result of a breakout year.

The EP concludes with the Saint Etienne “Visits Lord Spank Remix” of the title track. It is an extended, nearly seven-minute-long take that nimbly takes on trance-like techno. While an interesting electronic reinterpretation, fans of the band will probably prefer their Pains straight up. It’s a unique reworking of the song nonetheless and, like the EP as a whole, a refreshing glimpse at whatever sounds are yet to come from a band showing little signs of growing pains.

However what makes the band stand out is their unique use of electronic elements. The tinkling keyboards and laptop blips add an extra layer of texture to songs, which already snap, sparkle and shine. “Starring”, the finest example of their dalliances with electronica, could almost be mistaken for a more upbeat Casiotone for the Painfully Alone b-side. It’s this combination of organic instrumentation and synthetic sound that create something wholly original and rarely heard in the over-crowded indie folk world.

Freelance Whales excel not only sonically, but lyrically as well. Standout “Generator ^ Second Floor” is about as grand and gorgeous as the genre comes. It builds to unstoppable heights and soars with a pensive, yet uplifting chorus about our impending mortality. “We will put this flesh into the ground again” might seem like a depressing sentiment when merely read on the page, but when backed by towering orchestrations and swelling sing-along harmonies, it becomes empoweringly anthemic. It’s sentimental sure, yet never maudlin. Elsewhere on “Location” with his angelic choirboy vocals, again akin to Sufjan, lead singer Judah Dadone croons, “what a flammable heart, I have been given.” Regardless of whether they’re singing about love or loss, the massive melodies remain as intact and as urgent as ever.

Meanwhile, opener “Generator ^ First Floor” recalls the Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” with its chorus of crescendoing “ahhs” while “Location” is vaguely reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian’s “Judy And the Dream of Horses.” Those might seem like some pretty lofty touchstones to compare a band that’s only in its infancy too. However as a debut album Weathervanes is more confident and fully formed than records by band with years of experience under their belts.

Given the dense arrangements, there is a lot to take in on one sitting. Between the grandiose instrumentation, sparkling synths and rich vocal harmonies, multiple listens are definitely required to fully grasp the intricacies of these songs. While not always immediate, the melodies are rewarding as they slowly unspool, rich with harmonic beauty easily making them one of most ambitious and eclectically promising acts.