by David Greening
Sea Wolf's sophomore album opens with what feels like a seasonal change. While Leaves In The River evoked an autumnal mood, White Water, White Bloom casts a colder, winter shadow. Seems all that time Alex Brown Church spent in Canada really seeped into his songwriting.
The record opens big and with a maturity that only comes from introspection and reflection. Orchestral, energized, and engaging, White Water pulls the listener in while remaining intimate and intricate. Church blends the simple acoustics of his debut with a background of massive crescendos and lush and powerful waves of strings. As well he blends the uniformity of a solo songwriter with the community of putting together a full band and it truly makes his songs shine. Delicate pianos, shimmering chimes, fiddles, and mandolins support finger-picked guitars and country strums. Church's vocals are more purposeful and cut through the mix but never overshadow the musical details his capable players provide.
Sea Wolf has produced a reflective and specific record in White Water, White Bloom. It has a definitive sense of time, place, and person for whom it was written. Songs such as "Dew In The Grass," "Orion & Dog," and "The Orchard" are lovely slices of Church's most personal moments. However, it is also a work of balance and duality with the bombastic "Wicked Blood" and spastic "O Maria!" counteracting the folksy-ness and moving the band forward into dense, anthemic territory.
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