They Love Sean Rowe in Denmark, Too

Yes, Sean’s Rowe’s album “Magic” – released today on Anti- Records – has the Troy singer-songwriter going global.

This just in from Carsten Fjølner at Diskant.dk:

Med Magic har Sean Rowe udgivet et flot og afdæmpet debutalbum, der lægger sig solidt i singer-songwritertraditionen – og med et stemme, der ikke er meget ulig James Earl Jones’, så er der da virkelig noget at bygge på. De fleste af sangene er afdæmpede, men på numre som ”Wrong Side of Bed” og ”Jonathan” viser Rowe, at han også kan begå sig i et noget højere tempo. Det er dog langtfra her hans force ligger.

Sean Rowe er bedst på albummets afdæmpede og mest traditionelle numre, som fx ”Night”, der beskriver en søns samtale med sin far mens sidstnævnte ligger på sit dødsleje, og ”Wet”, der fra sønnens perspektiv beskriver moderens svære liv. Rowe’s stemme bliver primært akkompagneret af en sparsomt anslået elektrisk guitar, men sangen kan nemt bære dette. I det hele taget kredser teksterne meget om minder – og især minder, der går helt tilbage til barndommen. Historierne og Rowe’s melodiske vokal er omdrejningspunktet og begge kan klare at blive ladt lidt i stikken af instrumenteringen, der ikke gør det store væsen af sig. De primære instrumenter er akustisk og elektrisk guitar, men også instrumenter som xylofon, cello, synth og piano er at finde. Et tredje af de flotte afdæmpede numre er ”American”, der kan høres nedenfor i en akustisk version. På album består nummeret af piano og et strygerarrangement. Muligvis Rowe’s svendestykke.

Sean Rowe er et stort talent som folk med hang til singersongwriter-genren skal have et vågent øje på. Det er ikke alt på debuten, der fungerer. Fx måtte instrumenteringen gerne have spillet lidt mere op til Rowe’s vokal, der til gengæld leverer masser af melodi.

Which apparently translates from Danish to English something like this:

With Magic Sean Rowe has published an impressive and subdued debut album that places itself firmly in the singer-songwriter tradition – and with a voice not much unlike James Earl Jones, so is there really something to build on. Most of the songs are subdued, but on tracks like “Wrong Side of Bed” and “Jonathan” Rowe shows that he can commit themselves in a somewhat higher pace. It is far from here his strength lies.

Sean Rowe is best on the album’s most subdued and traditional tunes like “Night”, which describes a son’s conversation with his father while the latter lies on his deathbed, and “Wet”, from son’s perspective describes his mother’s difficult life. Rowe’s voice is mostly accompanied by a scantily estimated electric guitar, but the song can easily carry it. On the whole orbit texts much about memories – and especially monuments, dating back to childhood. The stories and Rowe’s melodic vocals are the focal point and both can cope with being left somewhat in the lurch by instrumentation that does not make it big creature of itself. The primary instruments are acoustic and electric guitar, but also instruments such as xylophone, cello, synth and piano is available. One third of the nice muted tracks are “American” can be heard below in an acoustic version. On album number consists of piano and string arrangement. Possibly Rowe’s companion piece.

Sean Rowe is a great talent that people with a penchant for singer / songwriter genre must have an eye on. It is not anything on the debut that works. Fx had no instruments like the game a little more up to Rowe’s vocals, which in turn delivers plenty of melody.

James Earl Jones?!? Oh, ya just gotta love that…