Shearwater – ‘The Golden Archipelago’ (Matador)

The Golden Archipelago is the third in a series that began with Palo Santo and continued with the excellent Rook in 2008, looking at themes of the environment and humans’ impact on nature. Songwriter Jonathan Meiburg – he of a voice that holds its’ own with the likes of Jeff Buckley – has camped in many places as a researcher, and this impacts on not just lyrical themes but also on the album’s sound. Opening track ‘Meridian’ starts of with the strain of the Bikini Atoll anthem, sung by Bikinians in exile after nuclear tests left their island uninhabitable.

As always, there are those who will find the idea of such things being used on a rock record contemptible, pretentious and that this makes Meiburg another one of the Bono/Chris Martin ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’ school.That’s their loss. Like its’ predecessor, this is an album that begs for repeated playing. It’s quite sad in tone -definitely more an autumn/winter record than a summer one, but none the less for that. It’s also quite a pastoral record, think John Foxx’s The Garden, Pink Floyd circa Ummagumma/Atom Heart Mother/Meddle, or even Virginia Astley’s From Gardens Where We Feel Secure.

While it’s perhaps not as immediate as Rook, it certainly holds its’ own up against its’ successor, particularly when heading into the second play of the day alone (as I am). Also, in this day and age of cherry-picking, whilst there are certain standout tracks -‘Black Eyes’ ‘Castaways’ and ‘An Insular Life’ it isn’t an album that you will want just a few tracks by; it’s almost iPod proof, you will want to hear and listen to this album in its’ entirety.

One of the best albums so far this year.

****

Shearwater -‘Castaways.’ mp3

Shearwater -‘Black Eyes.’ mp3

And because it is so good, Rooks from Rook:

Shearwater -‘Rooks.’ mp3

Shearwater’s website/Shearwater’s myspace

The Golden Archipelago is released on February 15 on Matador.

Shearwater -‘Rook’ (Matador)

Oh, wow. I was expecting something good, given the acclaim, chinese whispers and the fact that it’s on Matador but not …this.

I want to this to be a considered, thoughful review and to try and keep me excitement under control. But the reality is that I think this is one of the albums of the year. I’ve reviewed many of the sixty plus albums I’ve heard this year, and this really is up there with the best of the best (thank you, Top Gun).

Jonathan Meiburg’s voice is the first thing that gets you. Think Antony Hegarty, Baby Dee, Jeff Buckley. That good. And then there’s the instrumentation. What’s impressive about this album is that there’s aspects here that could appeal to Muse fans, but there’s enough wondrous delight and experimentation that The Wire should be covering this band too.

It surprises you too – ‘Century Eyes’ remins me of Richard Thompson, but then I wouldn’t want to pigeonhole this all under folk-rock. (I wouldn’t want to pigeonhole Mr. Thompson either, but you get my drift). It’s almost pastoral, think late Talk Talk (Spirit of Eden), Virginia Astley (From Gardens Where We Feel Secure), John Cale’s Paris 1919. Maybe even Cale’s onetime bandmate Nico’s Desertshore, without being so dark or parts of latter-day Radiohead.

Could this be a commercial breakthrough for the band? Oh, who knows. This record is too good to be kept a secret, and whether the general public pick up on it, only time will tell. Amazingly, it’s only 35 minutes long, and not the sprawling release some might imagine.

But buy yourself a copy. This is a record you will want to live with and savour for a very long time.

*****

Shearwater -‘Rooks.’ mp3

Shearwater website/Shearwater MySpace