Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

Presenter

Damian Smith

Published

Tuesday 16th March

Matador Records

Listening to Shearwater’s latest album is almost like getting lost in some slightly sinister dream world, filled with Minotaurs, secret islands and growing discord. It’s impressively cinematic in scope and demands to be taken seriously – perhaps a little too seriously.

The choir-like voice of songwriter Jonathan Meiburg (formerly of Okkervil River) is certainly beautiful, but you can’t imagine the guy ever cracking a smile. It’s like somebody suggested puppies should be ground up as pencil lead. Having said that, his wavering voice is oddly compelling; a study in both strength and fragility.

The music runs like the score for an intelligent film; one of those movies where there are lots of shots of the troubled protagonist staring out over a grey lake on a biting cold day. It’s pensive, dramatic and incredibly lush. So many studio musicians bolstered the core five members, they didn’t bother to include any liner notes– the credits are all on their website.

Rippling piano and crunchy electric guitar trade off each other in Black Eyes, although the chorus features a heavy 80s pop influence. After the insistent, meditative percussion of Landscape at Speed comes the snowy waltz of Hidden Lakes. Then the band step things up a notch with Corridors’ fast, robotic beat, indie rock distortion and energetic snare flourishes. An Insular Life even manages to successfully marry orchestral strings with a bossa rhythm.

If you’re after sunny, throwaway pop, this isn’t your record. But if you prefer a bit of a challenge, and want to retain the bells, whistles and shine of the genre, take a listen – you’ll be suitably rewarded. Just don’t expect it to lift the weight of a hard day off your shoulders. And leave those puppies alone.