Seabird - 'Til We See The Shore

Reviewed by Paul Loader

This is the debut record label album from Cincinnati's intelligent "everyman" outfit. And as debuts go, this ain't half bad at all. Produced by Jacquire King (Kings Of Leon, Tom Waites) and Allen Salmon (Mute Math) 'Til We See The Shore' is a well produced, well thought out album full of songs that highlight the ebbs and flows of life and tackle such subjects as courage, love, loss and redemption. Seabird are a four piece that are made up of brothers Aaron and Ryan Morgan as well as Chris Kubik and Aaron Hunt. Their sound is very much the present popular keyboard centred intelligent pop rock that bands such as Coldplay and Kean have made so popular over the past few years, especially at the festivals. In fact, if that is the kind of music that pushes your button this is an album that is very much for you. There is not a wasted track on the CD and every song has something of merit around it. The standout tracks for me were the opener "Black & Blue" and "Cottonmouth" (which could be about an unloving parent or even an abusive teacher, fascinating lyrics either way), songs that have real clout and get you banging the steering wheel on your car like a good 'un. My favourite track was very much in the vein of Muse called "Apparitions" (which despite countless replays, I still haven't figured out what it's about, which makes it even more interesting, it could be about ghosts, taking drugs or parents struggling with teenagers, could be none of these). If I could have my way I would have a whole album made up of tracks like that. The song tanks along with a haunting keyboard riff that stays in your head for hours, and proves that this band can rock as well as perform the more thoughtful and reflective kind of song that appears more on the latter part of the CD. To be honest, I can imagine a crowd really getting into Seabird whilst knee deep in mud in a field in Somerset, they really have that kind of feel. Expect Seabird to fly.