Album Review: Seahaven by Seahaven
Album artwork for “Seahaven” by Seahaven
Coming in at 42 minutes across 12 tracks, Torrance, California's emo revivalists Seahaven are back after 6 long years with their fourth LP “Seahaven” released on June 5th on Pure Noise Records.
If you've been longing for a record to capture the essence of autumn to sink your teeth into over the summer, this one's for you. Blending elements of indie rock, post-hardcore, and shoegaze, “Seahaven” serves as an energizing departure from their previous bodies of work, proving their unwillingness to allow themselves to stagnate creatively. Energetic as it may be, “Seahaven” is riddled with melancholia from front to back both sonically and lyrically with tracks such as Infinite Blue, Midnight Hour, and Long Goodbye.
Throughout the record, “Seahaven” doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel but with hooks and instrumentation like this it's hard to say that innovation is really needed. Framing the album at the beginning and end we have Godsend and Companion; two tracks stepping beyond the bands’ comfort zone bordering the stylings of electronic music. While experimentation and branching out has been the name of the game for Seahaven across their last couple releases, these pieces stick out like a sore thumb among the rest of the tracks on the record and really only feel in theme with the rest of the album lyrically. Just a couple songs in, however, we’re graced with Infinite Blue - an absolutely devastating four minutes detailing the struggles of being with a distant lover encapsulated best by some of the very first words we hear “I adored you - maybe that wouldn't matter if only you cared as much as you pretend to”. From the moment track two starts it feels like the record really kicks off as the rest of “Seahaven” is filled to the brim with lyrical agony and memorable melodies sure to make a home in your head for days after listening.
Front to back on “Seahaven” we’re immersed in the process of grappling with the push-and-pull nature of human relationships through emotionally illustrative lyrics paired with dreamy and at times tumultuous instrumentation. With undeniable angst reminiscent of the band's early days mixed with the maturity of later endeavours, “Seahaven” feels like the band fully coming into their own after nearly twenty years of growth and development, a project fitting of a self-title. The emotional gravitas of this record is remarkable and you’re denying yourself something truly great by not seeing it for yourself.
FFO: Citizen, Movements, Coldplay
SCORE: 7/10
“Seahaven” by Seahaven is available everywhere as of June 5 2026 via Pure Noise Records
