Kevin Bronson on June 30th, 2014

0

Songwriter Alex Brown Church’s new Sea Wolf project is an album. But it’s not. Well, let’s him explain: “It’s a real Sea Wolf album, but it’s not an official record. It’s a gift for our fans,” he says of “Song Spells, No. 1: Cedarsmoke,” a collection of songs made during his “creative regeneration” for the next studio album. “Song Spells” is absent the luxuriant production that characterized Sea Wolf’s three studio albums “Leaves In The River” (2007), “White Water, White Bloom” (’09) and “Old World Romance” (2012) – in fact, the new material was recorded at Church’s home studio with band members Lisa Fendelander, Joey Ficken and Scott Leahy. Still present, however, and as powerful as ever is Sea Wolf’s rapturous lyrical imagery, framed with simple and beautifully unvarnished instrumentation. “Song Spells” will be released via Spotify on July 8 and as a free (or pay-what-you-want) download via Sea Wolf Music on July 15. The mournful instrumental “Cedarsmoke,” which segues into the ballad “Young Bodies,” is divine in its simplicity.

||| Download: “Cedarsmoke” and “Young Bodies”

Photo by Mia Kirby