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I've mentioned before that one of the things I love about All We Seabees is how they manage to combine so many different styles into a cohesive whole. Their new CD, Lady Alaska is a perfect example of that. There's a hint of psychedelia, and a healthy dose of Irish soul. It has the narrative tradition of folk music and the spirit of indie rock. There's enough twang to keep it honest, but not enough to make it country. The album has a slightly more organic feel than their debut (Anne The Snake) did. That might be a side effect of its origins; it apparently began life intended as an acoustic-y side project, but grew into a band effort. The instrumentation is a bit more ecletic, with healthy doses of banjo, fiddle, accordian, and female harmonies. But as great as the arrangements are, the real strength of the band is the songwriting. "Black Girls" is simply one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard from the local rock scene, and "Painter" gets its impact from the juxtaposition of an utterly depressing story set to a jaunty tune. The fact that they've they've gotten this good on just their second album bodes well for their next CD, which they've already started recording.
-DARRIN, Page 300
These guys have had an exciting year, getting a deal with Cephalopod Records, getting some tracks on John David Wynne’s film “Bent Back“, the release of Lady Alaska and getting both that album and Anne the Snake on iTunes. I really dig their sound. It’s very sleepy folk pop with wide ranging influences from bluegrass to traditional irish to indie rock and combines to create a cohesive and beautiful experience. It reminds me of the small town in which I grew up and the lazy days and dispositions of the people (sometimes good, sometimes not). Black Girls is an absolutely gorgeous track and does what I think these guys do absolute best. In some respect these guys remind me of Iron & Wine’s “Our Endless Numbered Days”, so I highly highly highly recommend seeing these guys. CORY, Backseat Sandbar
All We Seabees, whose rootsy, wavering tunes vacillate through earnest intimacy, haunted ache, shimmering uplift and ragged rawk. CHRIS PARKER, Nashville Scene
Nashville transplants by way of Motor City, All We Seabees craft fresh, contemporary songs that sound as if they've always existed. A good folk song can do that. Just like Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill or Sebadoh before them, All We Seabees manage to translate this achievement into an aesthetic that is quintessentially indie rock. The band's sets are typically exhibitions in wild eclecticism, shifting styles drastically from straightforward punk to banjo-laden ballads. The variety keeps the listener on his or her toes, never becoming fully cohesive, yet never lacking their signature.
—MATT SULLIVAN
