[Discussion] Death in the Business of Whaling - A Look Back
Now that DitBoW has been out for a while now and we've had time to meditate on the album, I'm curious to see how others feel about it now.
I'm split in my feelings: on one hand it's my favorite release to date. I love it to the point that I've bought it twice on digital (one for myself, another for a friend) and also own limited tour vinyl and purchased the physical CD.
From top to bottom, DitBoW reflects Alec's musical evolution and growth, both sonically and lyrically. Every track is bold and intimate, all while inviting the listener to truly make every song theirs, which I think is the biggest strength of the album.
On the other hand, while DitBoW is still in my regular rotation of music I still find myself gravitating to earlier works more, like Guard Dog and End of the World. Alec's earlier works felt less structured and experimental, and as a result flow more freely (to me). In contrast, Whaling feels designed to be a more widely accessible release to be more appealing to a larger audience.
I've noticed a change in the crowds at live shows, it's started to evolve --NOT a bad thing, just an observation.
I worry that the music will continue to evolve to meet the market vs keep what made Alec's work distinctly, unmistakably Searows.