Sea Wolf's second album “Leaves in the River,” came out this past September and is fantastic. The lead singer and founder of Sea Wolf, Alex Church, can be comparable to many other indie/folk bands including Sam Beam from Iron and Wine, or even an early Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. I only say this because both men contain a certain sadness that Church also hits upon as they sing about lost love and loneliness. Though they are comparable it is also easily arguable. They are quite different when it comes down to it. Not only in the way that they sound, but also in how the album has been put together. Church brings together many different instruments, which adds interest to intrigue to the album as a whole. Not only can we hear the general guitar (acoustic and electric), but also keyboards, marxophones, drums, percussion, clapping, violin, cello, and piano. While on tour Sea Wolf keeps a stable band made up of Aaron Robinson, Lisa Fendelander, Theodore Liscinski, Aniela Perry, and Byron Reynolds who is from the California band Let's Go Sailing. The use of string instruments help set up the melancholy mood throughout the album, while percussion, keyboard, and guitar kept an upbeat feeling. It is almost a contradiction, but it works well on this album. All the tracks on “Leaves in the River” are overall good and quite relaxing to listen to. A handful of songs stand out on this album and I would have to say that “Black Dirt”, “Middles Distance Runner”, and “Song for the Dead” are the top track. Each of these songs has a very distinct sound, and the lyrics are powerful, but still catchy. If you give Sea Wolf's newest album a chance, there is little chance of regret.
