Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River

Sea Wolf
Leaves in the River
Dangerbird Records
Grade: A-

Given the cavalcade of superior indie rock bands these days incorporating ‘wolf’ into their names, I’d be super hesitant of adding that word to my band’s moniker. Yet, Sea Wolf, aka Alex Church, is charming enough to gain acceptance for the use of the wolf inclusion and not for winding up watering down the power of the wolf. So, you can continue to believe that pretty much any band with wolf in its name is going to be good. Some people may recognize Church through his exploits with LA band Irving. After realizing a couple years back that his and the band’s vision of songs were on diverging paths, Church went out on his own with the moniker Sea Wolf and played a smattering of LA shows with friends. Working with Phil Ek for the ten-song Leaves in the River, Church now has a steady cadre of musicians to fulfill his live vision of the songs. Let’s get to the heart of the matter with Leaves in the River – “You’re A Wolf.” Already an indie/college rock radio favorite, “You’re A Wolf” is such a standout track that you may prefer to simply buy the single due to its overwhelming awesomeness. With up-and-down picking acoustic guitars and Church excelling on vocal tone, “You’re A Wolf” is catchy as hell and you just have to keep hitting repeat. If the rest of Leaves in the River neared the excellence of this song, you’d be listening to the best album of the year. A few other songs offer solace to the wandering soul including “Winter Windows,” the compelling “Middle Distance Runner” (which sounds destined for a film by Zach Braff), the Murder By Death-esque “Song of the Dead,” and “The Cold, the Dark, & the Silence.” Church and his Sea Wolf does offer a persuasive debut full-length, one that blends the heart-tugging indie strings and makes you fall in love all over again.