Lily Seabird: Trash Mountain [Album Review]

| |

Lily Seabird
Trash Mountain
Lame-O Records [2025]

“Lily Seabird turns quiet reflection into folk-rock gold on Trash Mountain.”

Album Overview: Lily Seabird is a Vermont-based musician who transitioned from environmental advocacy to a full-time focus on songwriting and touring. Originally from Pennsylvania, she settled in Burlington, where she became part of a close-knit, creatively rich community. Since 2023, she’s spent much of her time on the road—performing her own music and playing bass for artists like Greg Freeman, Lutalo, and Liz Cooper. Still, her anchor remains a vibrant pink house known as “Trash Mountain”—a former landfill-turned-artist-haven that’s become a symbol of belonging and transformation in her life.

Her latest album, Trash Mountain, is a reflection of change, growth, and grounded creativity. Written during a focused burst of inspiration, it captures the emotional weight of transition—friendships shifting, identity evolving, and the quiet search for meaning in between. It’s the clearest and most personal statement Seabird has released to date. A record to sit with, Trash Mountain instantly pulls you in with its sincerity and Seabird’s disarming, vulnerable delivery.

Musical Style: The album leans into warm, guitar-driven folk rock with soft textures and a careful sense of pacing. There’s an intimacy in the production—a close-mic feel that makes each song sound like it’s being performed just for you. Acoustic foundations are gently expanded with layered instrumentation that supports, rather than overwhelms, the emotional core of each track.

Evolution of Sound: Compared to earlier albums Beside Myself (2021) and Alas (2024), Trash Mountain feels more focused and immediate. The quick writing and recording process strips away overthinking, resulting in songs that feel honest and present. There’s a looseness that lets the record breathe—moments that aren’t overly polished but instead feel lived-in and real. Seabird’s confidence in storytelling has deepened, and you can hear it in the clarity of her voice and the natural flow of each arrangement.

Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of Lomelda, Grouper, Florist, Adrianne Lenker, Johanna Warren, and Leith Ross will find a familiar pull here. Like those artists, Seabird blends emotional openness with a grounded, homespun arrangement style—yet she does so in her own quietly bold way.

Pivotal Tracks: The album’s first highlight is “Trash Mountain (1pm),” a track written after a long tour that explores the strange stillness of returning home. With understated harmonica and slide guitar, Seabird paints a picture of readjusting, of finding meaning in small, familiar moments. Its companion track later in the record, “Trash Mountain (1am),” trades reflection for dreamy nighttime wonder, strolling through memory-laced streets and pulling magic from the mundane.

“Arrow” serves as the album’s emotional midpoint, confronting doubt and the tug of two paths—past and future. The lyrics land with a breathless urgency, full of questions that don’t need answers to resonate. “How Far Away” is the quietest and most affecting track—just piano and voice—where Sam Atallah’s sparse playing gives Seabird the space to shine with raw emotional clarity. It feels like a release. “Sweepstake,” by contrast, brings in a lighter tone, capturing the spark of creative friendship and the hopeful glimmer of what’s still to come.

Lyrical Strength: Seabird’s writing is casual but cutting. She captures people and places with small, vivid details that feel lifted straight from real life. Her lyrics don’t chase conclusions—they’re about lingering in the moment, making space for uncertainty, and honoring the emotional complexity that comes with change. There’s strength in her restraint, and it makes every line feel more personal.

Final Groove: Trash Mountain is a beautifully intimate listen—unassuming at first but emotionally potent. Its strength lies in how grounded it feels: not in perfection, but in truth. Seabird doesn’t overplay her hand; instead, she invites you in, lets the room stay quiet, and trusts that her songs will carry the weight. This isn’t a flashy reinvention—it’s a quietly confident step forward, the kind that hints at even deeper wells to be drawn from in future releases. Keep an ear out—there’s more to come.

LILY SEABIRD LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | Lame-O Records

Lena Bishop
Latest posts by Lena Bishop (see all)
Previous

CIVIC – “The Hogg” [Video]

Fire Track: Squid – “The Hearth And Circle Round Fire”

Next

Leave a Comment