Sea Wolf’s Alex Brown Church captivated the packed Larimer Lounge on Tuesday. Photos by Laurie Scavo.

Short and sweet.

Sometimes we like our rock shows short and sweet – the band leaving the stage at an idyllic time. They’ve poured their hearts out, and they have nothing left – until tomorrow night, when they’ll do it all over again in another town.

More often than not, though, we find short sets frustratingly incomplete. It’s a book half written, a story half told. And it’s even worse when the musicians leave the stage tentatively, like they have something else to say – more stories to tell … just not today.

Sea Wolf is a young band, sure. Between their debut full-length and the EP that came before it, they only have 14 original songs. But even young bands can squeeze out an hour of material – especially when headlining an anticipated date.

Sadly Sea Wolf only played a 45-minute headlining set at the Larimer Lounge on Tuesday. It was decidedly too short, and even primary singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church looked like he had more to give.

The band’s Larimer Lounge show was quite the hot ticket, almost selling out the small rock club in the warehouse district. (A nice change from the last time they played there, where it was me and 15 others taking in the group’s lush charm.) Tuesday’s gig was a rescheduled date the band was making up after getting stuck in the snow a few months ago, and the venue was abuzz with good energy.

The fans were psyched because they finally got to see their band. The group was psyched because they were playing in front of a solid crowd – thanks, in part, to the show being sponsored by AAA radio giant KBCO.

Playing as a six-piece, Sea Wolf kicked its set off with the title track on its debut LP, “Leaves in the River.” The soft introspection of Church’s lyrics matched the group’s quietly focused melodies – employing multiple acoustic instruments, cello and accordion included.

With “Leaves in the River” in particular, Sea Wolf plays lullabies for adults. The music is soothing and lavish, and the stories are simple yet demanding. Church’s music relies heavily on the kind of melodies that beg to be whistled. They hang in your brain for hours, haunting you when the morning comes and cheering you up in the difficult afternoons.

Playing in their CDs’ order, Church then lead his group into Track 2, “Winter Windows,” an upbeat meditation on percussion and accordion. As good as this band is with the driving, eye-closing ballads, they’re even better with the finger-snappers. “Winter Windows” is cinematic in scope – begging to be placed in an acutely edited scene in the next Wes Anderson movie.

If “Leaves in the River” is the meandering afternoon in the hammock, “Winter Windows” is the harried jog through the streets of old Prague. And while the group’s live show was hardly athletic, the music was so easy on the ears that it didn’t require a striking visual counterpart. It helps that the Larimer Lounge’s PA was performing far above its average. The Larimer hasn’t sounded that good in more than a year. The mix was on-point, and the sound was sterling.

The show had the obvious high points. “You’re a Wolf” – one of the group’s more complex compositions – sailed beautifully, reminding the crowd melodically of all that made Elliott Smith so unique. “Song For the Dead” was stunning live, with all of its parts working together – from Church’s staccato vocals to the varied percussion. “Black Leaf Falls” was gorgeous in its simplicity, showcasing Church’s honest, no-frills voice.

“Black Dirt” came late in the set, and it was the surprising crowd-pleaser – the obvious song people were singing along with.

After a short, two-song encore, Sea Wolf left the building. It looked like they had more to give. Or maybe it just seemed that way because we wanted more of their music.