Shearwater
The Golden Archipelago
(Jagjaguar)
Shearwater’s sixth album, The Golden Archipelago, is a symphonic piece composed of a delightfully brawny piano, a plethora of exotic utensils, and bi-polar guitar.
The album’s seaside imagery conjures up visions of Jack Sparrow searching for the grandest booty of them all. He would have been stupefied if he happened upon Shearwater’s, The Golden Archipelago, but he sure wouldn’t be disappointed with what the X marked spot unearthed.
Horns and strings accompany piano, guitar, and drums to create a strong piece of work with an ominous sound that begs to break from genre classification. The bottomless voice of Jonathan Meiburg accompanies the shadowed demeanor of the arrangements, entrancing the listener with glowing stories.
The first three songs of the album sound completely irreconcilable and capture the band’s individuality and exceptional sound leaving the listener wanting to delve deeper. With every song divergent from its predecessor, The Golden Archipelago eloquently changes from a rapid roar to a guitar laden cry with incredible ease.
The album is almost too overwhelming at points, generating tidal waves of overabundant instruments, which are hard to make sense of at first. As with a dense work of Shakespeare, appreciation is found after analysis and reflection, not necessarily after a single spin.
Shearwater use myriad sounds to craft exceptional songs that mesmerize the listener. There is nothing out there like The Golden Archipelago, an extraordinary collection of music and a treasure to be found and cherished.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
