SEA WOLF
OLD WORLD ROMANCE
Swathed in a blanket of English guitar pop influences, Old World Romance is the third album from LA-based Sea Wolf, the main vehicle for singer and songwriter Alex Brown Church. Sedate and restrained, the songs here are imbued with a gentle ambiance while carefully constructed arrangements grasp and hold the simple drum parts and strummed melodies together. With the exception of “Blue Stockings” and its swaying refrain, most of the vocal hooks are subtle at best. In fact, apart from the familiar Radiohead guitar progressions that appear in the title track and “Miracle Cure,” much of the record slips quietly by, lost in a sea of similar sounding “indie-folk” bands. If Sea Wolf ever wants to make a real splash, they’ll probably have to make a bit more noise first. (Dangerbird) Ian Thomas