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Album reviews Music

Sean Rowe – Magic

SEAN ROWE plays the Dakota April 14. See listing. Rating: NNNN


Some artists seem to spring up out of the earth fully formed, like mushrooms. Recent Anti- signee and dedicated naturalist Sean Rowe is such a singer/songwriter. With its confident, mature and meditative approach, his debut album belies his newbie status.

It was recorded near his native Albany, coincidentally in a building where Rowe’s grandfather used to work, and you can hear chairs squeak, instruments shifting and the band whispering to each other between takes. In 2007, he went on a 24-day solo wilderness stint, and the experience comes through in mood and metaphor more than subject matter.

Opener Surprise is a sexy baritone Van Morrison-style love song, Night is a stripped-down look at innocence from the perspective of experience, while teenage disaster story Jonathan ramps up the energy. The spacious Leonard Cohen-inspired Time To Think, with its bowed bass, cello and female backup vocals, is the best place to start.

Top track: Time To Think

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