sean rowe | Troy, NY | Alternative / Folk / Singer/Songwriter | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos

“We didn't exactly have to crane our necks to hear Rowe — he's got a voice built for bellowing into canyons — but he came packing a succession of ever-louder acoustic-guitar set-ups just in case. A native of rural New York, Rowe devotes his off hours to wilderness survival and what he calls "primitive living." But if he ever made the move to his home state's biggest city, he'd be nicely equipped to busk in the subways: He's got enough presence and volume to drown out local trains and noisy wildlife alike.”

— NPR: Tiny Desk Concert

“Don't be fooled by the quiet nature of Sean Rowe's music. These are songs that are unexpectedly disarming. First, Rowe's baritone commands attention -- a deep, lived-in, worn-out and seen-it-all voice, one belonging to a barroom storyteller with a slyly understated grasp of melodic twists and turns. Then, his lyrics don't leave much room for a listener to turn away.”

— Randy Lewis, LA Times Pop & Hiss

“How refreshing to hear a voice with such conviction, with storytelling and song craft so compelling, so stirring to the human soul. Sean Rowe’s new album conveys a sense of wisdom; a collection of songs brimming with powerful, emotional weight.”

— Shawn M. Haney, Performer Magazine

“Sean Rowe's words and voice definitely have the Magic; here's to him casting future spells on me, and hopefully on you, too.”

— Chris Estey, Three Imaginary Girls

“Some artists seem to spring up out of the earth fully formed, like mushrooms. Recent Anti- signee and dedicated naturalist Sean Rowe is such a singer/songwriter. With its confident, mature and meditative approach, his debut album belies his newbie status. It was recorded near his native Albany, coincidentally in a building where Rowe’s grandfather used to work, and you can hear chairs squeak, instruments shifting and the band whispering to each other between takes. In 2007, he went on a 24-day solo wilderness stint, and the experience comes through in mood and metaphor more than subject matter. Opener Surprise is a sexy baritone Van Morrison-style love song, Night is a stripped-down look at innocence from the perspective of experience, while teenage disaster story Jonathan ramps up the energy. The spacious Leonard Cohen-inspired Time To Think, with its bowed bass, cello and female backup vocals, is the best place to start. Top track: Time To Think”

— Sarah Greene, NOW Magazine

“Something in indie-folk singer Sean Rowe's confident, deep baritone suggests that he's a deep thinker. And it's true: As a self-described "modern hunter/gatherer" who periodically retreats from his home in Troy upstate to live off the land, he's given himself the precious time to contemplate his craft, leading him to write some heartbreakingly poignant words. These lyrics, on his first nationally distributed album, Magic, are at times autobiographical ("While everybody is thinking themselves to death, I just use my hands" on "The Walker") and at times sarcastic ("The Kingdom of Heaven is down at the mall" on "American"), but they're always interesting.”

— Kory Grow, The Village Voice

“Sean Rowe’s earthy baritone — robust and gnarly as a mighty oak, tender as spring leaves — has the power to send a rowdy room into a reverent hush. His ANTI- Records debut album Magic, released this February, has rapidly garnered critical attention for Rowe’s lyrical, imagistic approach to songwriting, colored by his deep passion for nature. His brooding verse is quietly draped in ambient-electric washes and acoustic guitar fingering, with hypnotizing results. As he says in “Surprise,” “let’s leave these rusted old folks in the city.” Yes, let's — and let's elope into Rowe's beautiful songs.”

— Joy Hanson, BeaconPass

“With an unrelenting baritone that hits deep from the beginning and songs that seem to bleed out straight from his heart, Magic is tear inducing in that wistful tender way.”

— Katy Henriksen, The Rumpus

“Rowe will remind some listeners of other dark-hearted troubadours, from the closing-time stillness of Waits to the ravaged husk of a voice eerily similar to Greg Brown’s. “Time to Think’’ — with lines such as, “There’s a lot at stake/ A glass of wine/ One last drink to hide behind’’ — conjures up the smoky refrains of Leonard Cohen.”