Instrumental post rock never strikes me as the sort of music that develops a huge fanbase. Typically, it’s the soundtrack to intimate moments spent alone, or more accurately, those moments when you’re "not so alone." If an around-the-block line of obsessive fans waiting to get into The Social on Friday night wasn’t enough to demonstrate that the The Album Leaf’s sexy and ethereal sound is far above average mood music, their phenomenal performance most definitely was. [Picture below courtesy of the band's Myspace page.]
It seemed like a good portion of the youngish crowd was there to catch the first Orlando appearance of opening act, Sea Wolf. The band's song, "The Violet Hour," was recently featured on the New Moon soundtrack, an album that's introducing scores of pre-pubescents to some surprisingly good music. While they didn't play that particular song, their set was full of material off 2009's White Water, White Bloom. This was the first time I’d heard material off the new album (produced by Monsters of Folk’s Mike Mogis) and from the first notes of the opening song, "The Traitor," I was surprised at their new indie-pop sound. Sea Wolf’s first LP, Leaves In The River, was mostly a folksy-mellow affair full of dramatic strings and romantic lyrics. White Water, White Bloom sounds completely different, its pleasant melodies reminiscent of matt pond PA (one of my guilty listening pleasures) and Bright Eyes. Some songs, like the opener "Wicked Blood," pulled heavily from Arcade Fire influences and instantly had the crowd bobbing in approval. The set was well-received, with vocalist/guitarist Alex Brown Church enjoying the evening enough to play "Black Dirt," a song that, according to an apologetic Church (who forgot the words to one verse) they aren't really playing on this tour. They closed the set with "You're a Wolf" and "The Promise," a lovely B-side that Church encouraged the crowd to find online, since it is currently unavailable for purchase. (Click here to listen to the song.)
