There are some stunning moments in this second album from the US singer-songwriter.

Searows is 25 year old American Alec Ducart. He has a very distinctive voice. At its best this crosses over into gorgeously, deceptively simplistic, tracks akin to Ethel Cain at her most haunting. Mostly, this is acoustic guitar or banjo, low key drumming, what sounds like a double bass or cello instead of normal bass guitar and a lot of reverb on the gently sung vocals. There is a haunting melancholy throughout, a deep sadness pervading all.

Individually almost every track sounds special. The best moments are the singles, ‘Photograph of A Cyclone,’ ‘Dirt’ and ‘Dearly Missed.’ Take any other track in isolation and they all have things in their favour. Collectively, the album achieves the odd effect of being less than the sum of its parts. As a whole the track to track similarity in vocal delivery detracts from the magic within it. It starts to drag, songs blur into each other. You urge it to wake up for a song, to come to real life. ‘Photograph of A Cyclone’ feels more urgent than many tracks on here but it still rarely breaks beyond a gentle jog. There is an undoubted talent at work here. A broadening of the stylistic palette could produce an absolute masterpiece of an album in the future.

Essential Tracks: ‘Photograph of A Cyclone,’ ‘Dirt’ and ‘Dearly Missed.’

Album Review: Only The Poets Are Ready To Conquer The Music Scene With ‘And I’d Do It Again.’

Ethel Cain: Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You