click to enlarge - Courtesy
- Lily Seabird, Alas,
(Self-released, cassette, digital)
On her new sophomore album, Alas, Burlington's Lily Seabird brings listeners on a journey through raw human emotion as she blurs the lines between happiness and sorrow. Lulling the audience into lo-fi grooves, then startling them with twists in the form of a heartfelt wail from her gritty voice or a searing guitar, her indie-folk songs are as nuanced as the messages they convey.
On opener "Take It," Seabird — whose real name is Lily Seward — introduces a world of yearning lyrics, crunchy riffs and slow builds that melt away into bittersweet melodies. "Grace" might prove to be her most popular song, a catchy yet haunting tune riding over a deep pocket of guitar, bass and drums. Sometimes Seabird's lyrics are hard to make out, but on this track the songwriter's storytelling shines through.
Another gem, "Twenty," has more of a traditional folk feel. It's a track to turn up on a drive over back roads with a spiritual rather than physical destination.
Toward the end of the album, "Cavity" is filled with aching warmth. Seabird's bluesy voice is joined by bending guitar notes from fellow Burlington artist Greg Freeman. Piercing through grungy feedback at the end, Seabird's saxophone feels like coming up for fresh air after diving into a lake of grief. Alas, comes to a gentle close on "The End of the Beginning" with the repetition of a final lyric: "Goodbye."
Seabird's voice reflects the saxophone, her first instrument, in the way her dark, soothing rasp breaks free into stunning overtones. In moments reminiscent of Janis Joplin-era blues, her new album has a vintage feel one might not expect from a recent college graduate.
Born in Pennsylvania, Seabird spent a brief period in New York before finding her way to the University of Vermont. Since graduating in 2021, she has established herself among local songwriters. Some of these musicians are featured on Alas, including Benny Yurco, Zack James and Freeman. According to a January Rutland Herald story, Seabird wrote the album when she was on tour with Nashville folk-rocker Liz Cooper in 2021 and 2022.
Seabird dedicated Alas, to her friend Ryan Collins, who died in September 2022. The two grew close while Seabird was writing the album. In the Herald interview, Seabird reflected on the record's name: "It was like alas, beauty, pain, transience, impermanence."
Seabird remembers her friend as she sings through the sorrow of the loss, finding everything from rage to joy along the way. Her songs have an emotional depth that's hard to reach with words alone, heard as much in her vocal range and cathartic instrumental arrangements as in her lyrics. Alas, shows us Seabird digging into her psyche until she grasps something vulnerable, raw and ultimately healing.
Alas, is available on all major streaming platforms.