(Matador/Remote Control)

Beautifully crafted record from Okkervil River offshoot

Shearwater are a four-piece from Texas, traversing gorgeous, intricate indie rock steeped in a folk aesthetic, although it ultimately transcends either genre. 2006’s Palo Santo was a standout record and this album, their fourth, is just as good. Originally formed by Okkervil River’s Will Sheff and ex-member Jonathan Meiburg, it has since become Meiburg’s project alone, and it’s his unique voice that really sets Shearwater apart – fragile in the band’s quieter moments but never weak, then fierce and passionate if the music wills it to be so. In Rooks he sings We’ll sleep until the world of man is paralysed and its with conviction and impact that he forces you to pay attention to the words he is using. The arrangements are never excessive, but always exquisite, with subtle bells and flowing strings wrapping around the foundation of piano and guitar and Meiburg’s voice cutting clearly through it all. The epic Home Life is a delicate balancing act, Meiburg dropping to little more than a whisper as a guitar is strummed with no particular direction and odd, distant percussion creates further texture. Century Eyes highlights the band’s versatility, a stomping beat and riff tearing the ears away from the tranquil comfort of the previous track. I Was A Cloud bears the deep and utter melancholy of Neutral Milk Hotel and again Meiburg’s performance makes the track something special. There’s even a nice flashback to Radiohead’s Pyramid Song in The Snow Leopard. This is an album drenched in elegance and beauty, made by a band who are truly worth your time.

****½

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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