So depressingly good you'll wish music was this sad all the time.
Warning! Hiding In The Shade is capable of making a happy person melancholy. It's quite rare to find a group who can pull an album focusing on such emotions off without delving into the realm of theatrics and cliché, but this album is most definitely a diamond in the rough. Hailing from Adelaide, South Australia, The Sea Thieves deliver a collection of nine dusty, forlorn tracks full of acoustic minimalism and attentive, meticulous instrumentation, which is all the more intriguing, as they are a duet. Hiding In The Shade shows an unbelievable amount of talent and focus for a debut album. Standout tracks, Faster By Degrees and It Takes A Storm, are beautifully constructed dirges and I cannot help but feel much empathy while listening to them. Take a chance, buy some tissues, buy this album and cry yourself to sleep listening to it. It's worth it.
LINDSEY CUTHBERTSON
Rave Magazine – Received Friday 25th July 2008