Searows, also known as Alec Duckart, is an American indie songwriter who recently released his second solo album Death in the Business of Whaling. Duckart found TikTok fame with his sullen strings in his singles ‘I have more than enough’ and ‘House Song’. If you like artists such as Phoebe Bridgers or Boygenius, then this artist is worth a dive into. 

Death in the Business of Whaling is a folk album released on the 23^rd of January 2026. The album title itself is a direct reference to Moby Dick: “Yes, there is death in this business of whaling—a speechlessly quick chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then?” This quote can be linked to the albums themes as Duckart deals with death, discomfort with the inevitable and moving on. With these themes sometimes finding themselves wrapped in a fantasy epic, coated in fog and sea spray, it’s only natural to find yourself listening to this album with your eyes closed to let your imagination flow and your body float. 

The title track ‘Belly of the Whale’ sets the sombre yet enchanting tone for the rest of the album. Duckart’s light vocals are like a siren’s call, enticing you to listen more. The lyricism is short, allowing the listener to drift into the instrumentals. The song features the strum and picking of a guitar, giving a hypnotising melody. The song’s lyrics talk about being stuck in a cycle that they find impossible to escape, therefore being in the ‘Belly of the Whale’. This song makes a good start for the album, and eases the listener in. 

‘Kill What You Eat’ brings on the emotion with powerful instrumentals and a strong build up.  The lyrics seem to relate to a past relationship with someone that Duckart is running away from. “I could’ve broken through the ice that day//But I’ll never know ‘cause I ran away” There is very much a severed connection throughout this song which reflects in the bright vocals and instrumentals against the harsh lyrics. 

‘Photograph of a Cyclone’ in Duckart’s own words “is about repeating cycles you learned from your surroundings or culture, and feeling incapable of doing anything different”. In this album, each song is building up instrumentally to a climax – and this might just be the start of the chaos. The song is somewhat reminiscent of a cyclone, Duckart’s humming throughout going through a circular motion like the twist of one. In this song, he appears to be clinging on to a relationship turned sour. Duckart could be presenting himself as the cyclone – he is the cause of destruction in this relationship. 

In ‘Hunter’ we are through that cyclone and are back to the slow calm. Instead of the acoustic guitar from before, we are instead led into the slow strum of an electric. Duckart’s lower, doubled vocals create an ominous presence, fitting the name of the song as we get an image of a hunter looming over their prey. The song features repetition of lyrics in both the verse and post-chorus, showing the frustration that Duckart is feeling. 

‘Dirt’ is a song that involves sullen, lyrics but bright instrumentals. We are back with the acoustic guitar that makes us drift into a calm space by the ocean. Duckart reflects on the finality of death but also looks at it in acceptance. It’s a song not meant to induce anxiety, but to relieve it by facing that fear with a fresh outlook. In Duckart’s own words, “We all inevitably return to the dirt, but you can’t ease the anxiety over it by trying to dig the hole early. If we can acknowledge the end, maybe we can remember we’re alive now.”  

‘Dearly Missed’ is the first single on the album and is overall one of the strongest tracks. The song has a soft build up focused on Duckart’s vocals before a crash wave of powerful instrumentals. The drums are the big powerhouse of the song, as each hit radiates through your body. You can really feel the emotion Duckart is expressing in this song as he belts out lyrics like “I sell you out//Is it so bad?” in the end chorus. There’s a sense of pleading within the song. 

‘Junie’ takes us back to the slowness heard at the start of the album. There is once again that lower register and mumbling like in ‘Hunter’. The song seems to be about wanting to get away from something, or someone – possibly this Junie character. The bridge in this song is heavy, and it feels like all the emotions are coming through and drowning Duckart as he tries to stay afloat. 

‘In Violet’ involves these droning sounds in the background that capture the listener’s attention. In this song, we are out of the mumbling and into a brighter tone to try and lift the heaviness that the rest of the album has brought on. There are some groove and catchiness to the guitar in this song paired with strong percussions heard throughout the album. 

‘Geese’ is the closing track of the album, and we are brought back to the acoustic guitar that was notable at the start of the album. The song could be about migration/moving on – geese flying over the sea to another place. Geese is an intimate track with the vocals sounding close. It is stripped back in terms of instruments and vocals – the lack of doubled vocals is noticeable as they were a common aspect through. At the end of the song we are left with a siren sound that lingers, closing off the album. 

Overall, the lyrics and vocals of Death in the Business of Whaling made it a strong album that can be listened to on repeat, especially with songs like ‘Dirt’ and ‘Dearly Missed’. However, there was just a lack of variation instrumentally and thematically that sometimes made songs difficult to distinguish between. 

7.5/10 

Edited By Jess Dunipace 

Subedited by Lydia Gallagher