Sweet Reaper by Seth Pettersen

released February 1, 2015

'Never judge a book by its cover and don’t assume a record’s title has much to do with its content, even allegorically. Sweet Reaper is many things, but dark isn’t one of them. Of course, that assumes the reaper is malevolent — Seth Pettersen obviously disagrees. While there are a few songs that lyrically hint at relational discord or disappointment or even grief (“Flesh and Bone”), the prevailing sparkle is enough to give the listener an osmotic tan. If there’s loss, there’s not lament; and if there’s tension, it’s quickly sloughed away with the tide. But don't confuse this with the bland stuff that’s come to represent the singer-surfrider genre. If there’s one thing the prolific Pettersen (Franklin for Short, Massenger) has a firm grip on, other than the nose of his skateboard, it’s infectious melody as he once again delivers crisp and breezy upbeat tunes with a casual edge. Maybe it’s the reverb, maybe it’s the buoyancy, but Pettersen’s songs project the coastal California outdoor zeitgeist so well that, if heard by the “right” ears, he could easily find the kind of commercial success that has thus far evaded most of Ventura County’s organic talent pool. Pettersen’s sweetheart, the ebullient Sasha Green, contributes backup vocals here and there, but otherwise, Pettersen is a one-man band (he even illustrated the album cover) with a simple plan: Make lots of great music and enjoy life. Rinse, repeat.' — Michel Miller