Sea Wolf - 'Leaves In The River'
Californian newcomers Sea Wolf have hit the ground running, their debut ‘Leaves In The River’ being a nicely judged dose of unpretentious indie folk-rock. The group is technically a five-piece - this feels almost like a compromise though, most songs containing input from a small army of contributors, while the song-writing is almost completely the work of singer Alex Brown Church. The result is distinctly individualistic while retaining a collaborative flavour, a la Bright Eyes.
The rainy-day wistfulness of the title track soon gives way to the piano accordion driven ‘Winter Windows’ which thrums with melancholic energy, Church wryly commenting ‘this is the world we live in / It’s not the one I’d choose / but it’s the one we’re given’. It’s a brand of world-weary existentialism that is by no means unique; Church expresses things better than most though, with beautifully unadorned melodies coupled with simply phrased and quietly insightful lyrics.
The band takes its name from the 1904 Jack London novel, one of his characteristically ripping yarns about learning to stand on one’s own two feet in the harsh wide world. Church’s fascination with London’s work pervades the album, though is probably clearest on ‘You’re A Wolf’ (previously released as an EP), the repeated refrain ‘you’re a wolf, boy get out of this town’ a call to escape the confines of a domesticated existence and test oneself against whatever the universe might toss one’s way.
Many tracks feature an inconspicuous cello line that weaves around in the murk adding an extra fullness of the sound, as on ‘Middle-Distance Runner’, an undemanding track about the limitations of commitment. Other songs have a bit more bite, the catchy guitar-driven pop-rock of ‘Black Dirt’ being a particularly stellar example.
‘Leaves In The River’ has been given a bit of extra sheen in the production by the likes of Phil Ek, producer of The Shins last two albums (and more recently The Fleet Foxes glistening debut), and mixed by Jacquire King of Modest Mouse and Tom Waits fame. The album probably won’t make waves - those in need a hit of thoughtfully written, beautifully rendered indie however are in for a minor treat.