After forming on a lark at the end of the 2000s, Australian indie folk supergroup
Seeker Lover Keeper debuted in June 2011 as a harmonic powerhouse of literate songcraft, bringing into one stable the talents of three distinctive voices. Already well-established as solo artists,
Sally Seltmann,
Sarah Blasko, and
Holly Throsby also proved to be a creative and commercially viable band whose eponymous album hit number three on the ARIA charts and was certified platinum. By the end of that whirlwind year, their touring and promotional cycle had ended and all three resumed their respective solo endeavors, leaving fans to wonder if
Seeker Lover Keeper had been a one-off project. Fortunately, after an eight-year gap, the trio is back with a follow-up release in the lovely
Wild Seeds. The original template saw each writer contributing four songs, which they arranged together into the dozen that made up their debut. A more collaborative spirit imbues
Wild Seeds, which was written communally while bouncing song ideas back and forth, often while seated at the same piano. The result is a glowing, compassionate album of detailed, organically minded indie pop that still plays to each member's assets, while sounding altogether more unified. The gorgeous "Superstar" opens the set, with
Seltmann taking lead vocals as
Blasko and
Throsby chime in with bright, airy harmonies set to a simple piano arrangement. The song sets a refreshingly appreciative tone that carries throughout much of the album. Gazing wistfully backward at the freedoms of youth, the spirited
Blasko-led title cut ultimately plays more like a celebration than a lament. From the affirmations of "Let It Out" to the sweet wanderlust of "Two Dreamers," the band emits a sense of togetherness, conveying themes of hope, tenderness, and romance without sounding trite or clichéd. It takes a hard-won confidence to tread those lines successfully, but the
SLK's veteran presence is in evidence throughout. There are a handful of darker moments, like on the moodily defiant standout "More Women" and the eerie closer "You've Got a Story," but as a whole
Wild Seeds is a reassuring balm of thoughtful songwriting and complex but wholly relatable emotions. ~ Timothy Monger