The music of London's Seafarers is supple and elegant, recalling to mind the best material from bands like Elbow and Florence & The Machine. Given that that's an odd juxtaposition of acts, I'd like to reassure that Another State, the band's newest, is anything but forced. This is deeply affecting stuff.
"Tough Kids", like many tracks here, succeeds thanks to the warm vocals of Lauren Kinsella. Her voice is a wonderful instrument, and one which suits the compositions of Matthew Herd extraordinarly well. "Bedwetters", the opening, is slightly more robust, with a melody that feels like it's about to take off, but which is held in check a bit. "Everything I'd Do (to Get a Hold On You)", one of the highlights here for sure, combines passion with an elegant sense of composition. The track builds in a manner that made me think of The Blue Nile and The Waterboys, though Seafarers sound nothing like either band. What is so good about this is that sense that the musicians are approaching this from a pure place, offering up the simplest of hooks and burnishing things with instrumental and vocal flavorings.
The moments that work on Another State work very well. There's nothing wasted here, and the economy of the craft matches the warmth of the vocals and central efforts. Deliberately affecting, the music of Seafarers remains, for me, one of the most pleasant surprises of 2024.
Another State by Seafarers is out this week. Details below.
[Photo of Matthew Herd: Seafarers official website]