Searows – ‘Death in the Business of Whaling’ album review: The strong storm of confidence and assurance
On his second album, Searows is making noise. Still tender as ever, still delicate and gentle, yet with a clear boost of confidence from the right backing, and seemingly the permission to laser focus while still expanding, Death in the Business of Whaling becomes something vast yet intimate, and utterly special.
The Skinny: When I first heard that Searows had been picked up by Matt Maltese’s label, Last Recordings On Earth, I could have cheered. Maltese is one of those people who has played his career incredibly well, allowing him to stay dedicated to his vision while leaving whatever space he wants for evolution, needing no permission and keeping control of the money. Now, with that, he’s helping artists do the same, and so far on his roster, the space he’s fostered has facilitated pure beauty.
But this review isn’t about Maltese; this is about Searows, but the fact that the artist put out one of the most beautiful records of 2022 without anywhere near enough recognition is relevant. On Guard Dog, Searows, real name Alec Duckart, presented some of the most beautifully written songs of the year on a thorough and devoted record; a rare, flawless start-to-finish record. It didn’t get enough attention in the way that so many self-released records simply can’t.
Now, Death in the Business of Whaling sounds like an album made with new assurance. Stepping up and up from the singles and two EPs heard in the gap, this sophomore release sounds like exactly what a label like Maltese’s can afford an artist, which is freedom and support and space and a boosting vote of confidence.
Allow me to explain the record with a note on the weather. Duckart is Oregon-based and has lived forever in the Pacific Northwest. The sound of the landscape has always seemed in, with the winter gloom of ‘Keep The Rain’, or the way Flush sounds like a clear night’s sky. But what was always missing was the rage of it all – jagged rocks, big waves, storms. As if no one ever really gave Duckart permission before, or simply gave him the courage and the confidence to turn the volume up and fully go for it, it was absent, and now it’s not.
While maintaining all the shades of indie-folk from previous releases, and holding strong to that dedication to a start-to-finish experience that takes you on a journey, Death in the Business of Whaling has new contrasts that make it endlessly more exciting. Big drums, headphone-consuming walls of sound, thick electric guitars like on ‘Dearly Missed’, there is more texture and more intrigue, and it all sounds like it comes from more confidence.
The Verdict: Leaking out into every decision, from the instrumentals to the production details and even into the lyricism, there is boldness across the board that led Duckart to be more upfront, whether it be with personal, candid words or bringing in more rock influences. The result is a record that can only be made when an artist feels empowered, and a record that makes more noise to get the notice it deserves.
Standout track: ‘Dearly Missed’
Release date: January 23rd | Producer: Trevor Spencer | Label: Last Recordings On Earth
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