
On first listen - and perhaps as a the price paid for its cohesiveness - White Water, White Bloom may seem a little homogeneous in its folk-rock approach, but after a few listens the songs begin to distinguish themselves more completely, and it ends up being less of an issue than it first appears. Still, the most interesting songs on the album are those that immediately stand out from the pack. "Orion & Dog" is one, which keeps things stripped-down (relatively) and percussion-free, relying on a strong melody and some striking strings to convey Church's astrological love story. On the opposite end of the spectrum, "O Maria!" (which immediately brings to mind The Decemberists' "O Valencia!") is the hardest-hitting tune of the bunch and of Sea Wolf's short career, with a satisfyingly crunchy guitar riff backed by thumping drums and pounding piano. Most everything else falls somewhere in between, relying on various instrumental embellishments to help Church create differing moods and emotions with his vivid lyricism that combines folklore and nature imagery with modern romantic themes. There are weaker moments, but nothing distracting or even really skip-worthy, and as a whole, White Water, White Bloom is a thoroughly enjoyable 40 minutes that in many ways builds on the strengths of its predecessor.
The link below will take you to Sea Wolf's label page and - for an email address - will allow you to download a vinyl-only bonus track ("Stanislaus") for free. Definitely worth your time.
Stanislaus (MP3 download via Dangerbird Records)
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1 comments:
The review was pretty much dead on for an album that I absolutely love. I really think the band shortchanged the digital release of the album, though, because on the vinyl Fighting Bull is a remarkable tune at track 5, and Stanislaus comes in at 10. With those two, the 12-track 3-side LP flows a lot more smoothly than the 10-track digital release. Fighting Bull might be my favorite track on the record.
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