Searows - Death in the Business of Whaling

Searows is the project of Portland-based songwriter Alec Duckart, an artist who first emerged with hushed, home-recorded songs that made emotional exposure feel almost dangerous. On his second album, 'Death in the Business of Whaling', Duckart widens the frame considerably, shifting away from diaristic confession towards something more allegorical, rooted in folklore, symbolism and a creeping sense of moral consequence.

The record opens with 'Belly of the Whale', immediately placing the listener inside a story rather than a moment. Throughout the album, Duckart lets myth and metaphor carry the emotional weight. 'Kill What You Eat' is one of the most affecting examples of this approach. It is deeply melancholy, stripped back and heavy with resignation, its sadness settling slowly rather than demanding attention.

That restraint makes 'Photograph of a Cyclone' feel like a surge of energy. More dynamic and upbeat than much of what surrounds it, it stands out as a clear highlight. 'Hunter' follows by turning inward again, introspective and solitary, its quiet tension suggesting someone alone with their thoughts and not entirely comfortable with what they find there.

As the album unfolds, Duckart allows moments of lightness to creep in. 'In Violet' is playful by comparison, its looseness offering a brief release from the record's heavier themes. Elsewhere, songs like 'Junie' and 'Dearly Missed' occupy a reflective middle ground, exploring themes of memory and absence.

Closing track 'Geese' feels like an act of reckoning. Gentle and deliberate, it reads as a song about asking for forgiveness without expecting absolution. 'Death in the Business of Whaling' is a thoughtful, carefully constructed album that rewards patience, revealing more with each return.