Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago (4AD)
4/5
By: Roxy Fisher
A shearwater is a medium-sized, long winged seabird. It’s also (and more importantly in this case) an indie rock band from Texas who recently created yet another beautiful album.
Released as their seventh collection – and much like their past masterpieces – The Golden Archipelago is a fluid and glorious listen, which transcends time and often genre, lifting you to an unreal state where you could become a successful poet, master yoga or probably… almost definitely… fly.
Highlights include the drummy brilliance of ‘Castaway’, an uplifting beat cut with lead singer Jonathan Meiburg’s soaring and aching vocal in full effect, ‘Runners Of The Sea’, something of a driving force in the middle and the album’s final track ‘Missing Islands’, which much like ‘Runners...’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Cinematic Orchestra release. Strangely also Meiburg sounds distinctly like Fish from Marillion in the fast paced ‘Corridors’… but maybe that’s just a flying-related head injury talking.
The entire collection, true to form, is a nod to the natural world. In fact, it completes a vague trilogy of releases which pay tribute to and highlight the plights of our planet. But whether or not you’re up for the message contained herein, the tracks here are undeniably beautiful. Listen when you’re feeling contemplative, inspired or a little sleepy.
Artists in this article: Shearwater
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