Porchlight

Clean Shaven Fanzine "...It's taken me quite a while but I've finally fallen for Seafood. It was probably because this is by some way their best single yet, far more delicate and poised than the generic previous two; fraut, touching and delicately fiercely unnerving. On the other side, 'Ukiah' is a beautiful ballad, showing that Seafood really don't have to resort to trashy old ramshackle noise to get their point across. Fabulous. Pete Flynn

Easy Path

Clean Shaven Fanzine "...Seafood turn their amps back up again, but it's not as sloppy as before, really quite deft, recalling rocking guitars from the days of indie before Britpop. Maybe. But this is a chipper little teasing gem, deft it really is, possessing the repressed spite and hurt of 'Porchlight', and rather sad too. But encased inside 'Easy Path's sparkling little pop butterfly, Seafood sounding juicier than ever. More exciting, improving all the time, an Idlewild-style mainstream breakthrough can't be an impossibility. It'd be very nice, in fact.

Oh, and we have another sweet acoustic number + that version of 'Walking In The Air' as b-sides. The latter is an astonishing maelstrom of pain and eventual unrestrained fury, makes you wonder how Aled Jones could've made it sound so cute." Pete Flynn

This Is Not An Exit

Steve Lamacq "...this is the best thing I think they've done so far"

Surviving The Quiet

The album kicks off, in an almost literal way, with 'Guntrip', one of my personal faves from the excellent live set the band does these days. You can see from this why there are so many journalists referencing bands like Sonic Youth when they review the album (or the band’s live show come to that). A great start - but then things get better.

The next track is 'Easy Path', and was one of last year’s singles. So we know this one already, though it’s definitely not a case of familiarity breeding contempt here. More melodic than the first track, it still maintains the pace with whirling dervish guitars.

'Belt', the next single follows in an almost menacing start, before dissolving into quiet bit, where Dave’s voice sounds at its most yearning, plus harmonies and then a build up back to the menacing guitars. A great song, though not as perhaps recognisable as a single than either 'Easy Path' or 'This Is Not An Exit'. An eerie piano bit ends the track, and then 'Dear Leap the Ride' begins. A gentle lull after the almost frenetic start to the album. With the acoustic gear coming out, and an amazingly effective (and I never thought I’d hear myself say this) pedal steel guitar. Lovely song. Then comes the other single from last year, 'This Is Not an Exit', which usually gets us in the crowd going at gigs, and no wonder. A great bounce-along of a song (I don’t mean that insultingly). Great bass line from Kevin too.

The following 2 songs are vying for my favourite from the album - 'Led By Bison', which I have liked enormously from the first time I heard it live; and 'Toggle', which simply grows on me every time I hear it. And I’ve been hearing it a lot lately! 'Led By Bison' starts with a gently, no beautifully, strummed guitar, and then the almost duelling quality of Dave and Charles’ guitars playing skilfully against each other. The song builds to a crescendo of guitars before returning to Dave’s almost plaintive vocal. My fave vocal performance from him certainly. Can anything possibly follow that, methinks! Well, yes it can. 'Toggle' builds slowly on a fantastic bass line from Kevin, and more steel guitar. It’s alright indeed! Then the choppy guitar starts to build up pace - and WHAM! the Seafood experience hits you smack between the eyes. Fantastic!

'Beware Design' sees Caroline take up the vocals on a quiet, almost folk song. Quite charming, and augmented with cello, is the most un-Seafood like song on the album. I miss hearing young Caroline’s vocals, as sometimes, as on 'Scorch Comfort' (their first ever single, which is still amongst my fave Seafood songs - see the mini-album 'Messenger in the Camp'), they are highly effective foil to Dave’s and Kev’s.

Any-hoo, straight after comes 'Folk Song Crisis' (irony?), which is certainly not a folk song, nor a crisis! In many ways, very Seafood like in fact. Except just when you least expect it, there is a flute (courtesy of Sarah from The Monsoon Bassoon), before the guitars sweep you away again.

Segueing into the last track 'FSCII/the Quiet', this set piece is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the live set, showing off the bands fine musicianship combined with unbridled passion. Its nearly as effective on record, though doesn’t quite have that jaw-dropping WOW! quality. For that, you do have to go and see them perform.

All in all, in my opinion, a fantastic record. Great musicianship, great passion, love it. Except the 5 minute gap at the end to the mucking about bit. Annoying when the CD is on repeat! Why? 9/10 DaveM