Seafret are a London based Indie-pop duo Jack Sedman and Harry Draper. Originating from Bridlington, their name reflects their closeness to one of England’s coastal towns. Since their first EP release in 2014 they have been consistent in their production of songs that are growing them a loyal army of fans around the UK. 

‘Most of Us Are Strangers’ is a very deep song that touches on lots of themes throughout. Floating through ideas about loneliness, companionship, love and friendship. With that as the theme, the melody has to carefully balance the lyrics so they are not lost, but still engage us as listeners in order to be able to fully hears the music. You can hear the contrast, the first phrases have a rhythm that cascades beautifully and provides a platform for the story to develop, the notes hardly deviate, but this flips into the main hook, with a complex melody that shows the skill in songwriting that Jack Sedman and Harry Draper have developed in their partnership. The production is complex, yet simple. The instrumentation is acoustic, but with subtle undertones of synths that fill the gaps and add to the tone of the music, making it serious, making you appreciate it more. The sections of the song are clear, building and fading to bring added texture, with other voices adding harmonies which create variety. Even when you wonder where the song can go, there is a spoken section, acting as a middle 8 about two thirds of the way through the song, which again gives texture to the song, which is unique in its lack of percussion, but actually, that may well detract from the beauty of the music. 

If you want a dancefloor filler, this isn’t it. It is not meant to be. But if you want to hear a song that has beautiful melodies, clarity or instrumentation and meaningful lyrics that engage you emotionally, this is it. With an already high number of streams, this song is going to make Seafret a much more common name in musical circles and no doubt far less of us will be ‘strangers’ to their music. 

 Indie-pop