by Petyr Campos
Singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church of Sea Wolf performed two rare solo shows at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall under the banner Sea Wolf (solo), revisiting songs from the beloved 2012 album Old World Romance alongside selections from across their catalog. Sea Wolf has been creating music for two decades with a style described as literary folk and orchestral indie rock, packed with emotion.
The Brick & Mortar Music Hall was the perfect venue for this type of performance, lending it an intimacy you need a room small enough that the silence between chords lands. Stripped of a full band with only his voice, guitar, and keyboards, played by Sea Wolf band-mate, Lisa Fendelander, the sound was sparse but resonant, a combination of softness and warmth that still carries weight. Church has a soft-grained, intimate, slightly melancholic voice that leans into emotional nuance rather than power or showiness fitting for the folk-rock/indie-folk sound. The performance was captivating, creating an atmosphere between haunting and heartfelt tones, depending on the song’s mood. I can’t wait to see the full Sea Wolf band play next time their in the Bay Area.
Opening the show was Emory Duncan, an under-the-radar independent singer-songwriter originally from Houston, Texas. The Indie folk artist now writes from a remote cabin in the Santa Cruz Mountains. His sound is raw, melancholy, and emotional. There was a humble warmth to Emory’s interplay with the audience that enhanced our shared experience that night.
