Album Review :
Seabird - 'Til We See the Shore
By Michael Mayer III in Reviews | Comments closed
Artist: Seabird
Album: ‘Til We See the Shore
Label: Credential Records
Release Date: June 24, 2008
Review by: Michael Mayer III
Tracklisting:
- Black & Blue
- Apparitions
- Not Alone
- Rescue
- Let Me Go On
- Stronger
- Cottonmouth (Jargon)
- Patience
- Sometimes
- Falling for You
- Maggie Mahoney
- ‘Til We See the Shore
Seabird is one of those bands that need to be seen live to be appreciated like they should be. Lead vocalist, Aaron Morgan, has a unique and powerful voice. Just hearing him wail and sing on ‘Apparitions’ is a treat in and of itself. I honestly can’t think of anyone that sounds like him and it’s no studio magic doing it. His voice perfectly fits the lush piano melodies, pop hooks, and lyrical storytelling that make Seabird a band of their own. Before ‘Til We See the Shore is over you may be crooning and wailing with him as he delivers an uplifting and positive message.
Songs deal with a range of topics from relationships to ghosts of the past, but there’s always a message of hope and perseverance with ‘Rescue’ being the most spiritually blunt of them all. Aaron blends strong imagery with an earnest honesty absent of any typical love song cliches. I don’t know why but for some reason I’ve always been enamored with the lyrics in ‘Let Me Go On’. During the chorus Aaron sings:
“Just let me go on
Just give me one more song
If it sucks we all go home
If not we sing along”
Maybe it’s the honesty or just that I envisioned the lyrics to be fun when heard live (and they were) but I love singing along with Aaron every time. No matter what the subject matter is, their bright outlook always meshes well with the upbeat music and crisp vocal hooks.
Those all serve to make their debut album one that is refreshing to listen to. Had a rough day? Pop in ‘Til We See the Shore and close your eyes. If the piano melodies don’t soothe your spirit the lively guitars, combined with Aaron’s voice, sure will. Most of the tracks are rocking at a mid-tempo pace with some faster pop tunes (‘Maggie Mahoney’s awesome beat comes to mind) mixed in for good measure. Don’t let the mention of a piano fool you either. This is no slow indie album that will bore you to tears. Most tracks have an infectious beat that can get you dancing and the piano gives each track a unique texture to stay engraved in your mind long after its over.
The album does lose a little bit of steam after the amazingly beautiful ‘Cottonmouth (Jargon)’, which has an awesome climax. You think it’s a slow ballad and then bam, it’s off and running and you can’t help but get swept up in the storm. It’s my favorite song for a reason and the lyrics play a large part in that aside from the unique song structure. Aaron explained it as being about someone’s struggle with a bad relationship that messed up a lot of things in their life and everyone around knew it wasn’t right. The backing vocals, fantastic piano playing, and catchy guitars all make this an epic song hard to forget. It’s just too bad the next few songs cause the album to lose momentum until the last two save it. For a debut album they sure finished it nicely with a strong, melodic closer and they leave no questions of their talent.
Overall: Aside from some average songs in the second half, this album is a must own for anyone who appreciates great piano based pop music. Fortunately, a piano heavy album doesn’t always mean a slow tempo one, and Seabird is a band that will be easily distinguishable thanks in large part to Aaron’s voice and the sound they have crafted. ‘Til We See the Shore is an album for sunny days even if you are feeling blue.
Gems of this album are: ‘Cottonmouth (Jargon)’, ‘Maggie Mahoney’, ‘Apparitions’, ‘Let Me Go On’
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