WERS 88.9 fm - Album Review: Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom

October 9, 2009

After making a splash in 2007 with their debut, Leaves in the River, indie frontrunners Sea Wolf have returned with an impressive sophomore effort, White Water, White Bloom. Given that Sea Wolf were initially simply a side project for former Irving bassist Alex Brown Church, White Water, White Bloom now sees a new incarnation of Sea Wolf featuring official band mates Joey Ficken, Theodore Liscinski and Lisa Fendelander. With their new solidified lineup, Sea Wolf's latest takes a big step forward with an array of influences from new members and a more collaborative approach.

 Sea Wolf originally garnered attention in recent years when songs "You're a Wolf," and "Sea Monuments," were featured in General Motors and RadioShack commercials. After Leaves in the River generated a fair amount of buzz, Sea Wolf quickly became known for their smooth indie vibe. White Water, White Bloom marches triumphantly forward in the footsteps of its predecessor, picking up where Leaves left off, and taking their sound in a new, more ripened, direction.

 While White Water, White Bloom offers listeners plenty of mellow fare, with the soft acoustics of songs like, "The Orchard," tracks including the opener "Wicked Blood," which features forceful staccato sections and subtle crescendos, and "O Maria!," which features a chorus that's more akin to the rockin' and raucous, packing just enough punch to give the album as a whole some compelling dynamics.

 The use of small string ensembles on tracks like "Dew in the Grass," and "Orion and Dog," harkens back to the bygone days of original American roots music and the sounds of the Appalachian convention, giving Sea Wolf a sound stewed in tradition. What may seem fresh to most of the college crowd are simply years of Americana with a breath of fresh air, aided by help from modern indie heavy-hitters like Church.

 In short White Water, White Bloom is a strong sophomore release that sees Sea Wolf on the rise in the indie scene. It's seemingly eclectic but in the end, wholly cohesive, offering a hearty mix of dynamic variety between up-tempo toe-tappers and soft somber ballads. With the new instrumentation from the group's freshly cemented lineup, the members of Sea Wolf under Church have brought new life to the project which is reflected in the quality tunes White Water, White Bloom has to offer.

 -By Christopher Guinn