Formed in 1999 as a side project for two members of Okkervil River, Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg, that could act as a showcase for the two’s quieter songs, Shearwater is a band with humble beginnings. Will Sheff is Okkervil River’s singer, primary songwriter, and guitarist, whereas Meiburg acts as the band’s pianist/organist. Originally, Shearwater’s focus as a band paralleled Sheff and Meiburg’s original intentions for the group, and Shearwater’s first three albums, along with one EP, consisted of softer material, with instrumentation and vocals split between the two Okkervil River musicians. That is, until 2006’s Palo Santo.
Originally released on Misra Records in 2006, the album led Shearwater to be signed to Matador Records, where the album was then re-packaged, partially re-recorded, re-mastered, and then re-released in 2007. It is that final product which is this week’s album of the week.
Shearwater’s fourth album is notable primarily because Sheff is no longer present in the same way he had been on previous Shearwater releases. No longer having to split vocal (or songwriting) duties, the band became primarily helmed by Meiburg (although Sheff does play some instruments on the album). The results of Meiburg’s lead are astounding, and the glimmers of promise seen on previous Shearwater records is pushed into the spotlight; Meiburg is a tremendous song writer.
With the background information out of the way, let’s talk the music. It’s somber, sober, and striking. All of the pop melody of Okkervil River is practically absent. The music isn’t lush or overly produced, but stark and straightforward. The songs do have rings of epic quality to them, however, they are soft and mostly meek. The songs themselves are mostly piano driven, as Meiburg relies on the instrument to set up almost every melody to each song. It leads the way amongst guitars, both distorted and crisp, pounding drums, and most important of all, Meiburg’s vocals.
For me, that is one of the most poignant elements of Shearwater. Meiburg’s voice is trained, beautiful, but also very expressive. When the man shouts, he shouts and you can feel the emotion. However, songs like opener “La Dame Et La Licorne,” act as a platform for Meiburg’s powerful, trained voice.
For the majority of this entry, I’ve said a lot about Palo Santo’s songs being piano driven, grave, and emotionally sobering, but I attest that I’m not describing some love-sick Coldplay rehash. No, this band is nothing of the sort. Combining a variety of instruments and elements, the record can be summed up in one word: beautiful. It has a “rocker” or two, but isn’t designed for blasting in your car. It’s to be saved for a night in and a bottle of red.
I’ve posted maybe one too many songs from the record for my album preview segment of this entry.
First off is “Red Sea, Black Sea,” the album’s second track. Perhaps the most uptempo, straightforward rock song on the record, the song does contain numerous Shearwater staples, including a great vocal track by Meiburg and an foot-tapping banjo lead.
Next is “White Waves,” which follows “Red Sea, Black Sea” as the album’s third track. It begins with a soft guitar melody and meek vocals from Meiburg, but bursts into a Wilco-inspired guitar-driven jam, complete with a steady drum beat.
Third is “Nobody,” an example of the record’s few minimalist, acoustic tracts. Made up of primarily Meiburg’s vocals and a muted acoustic guitar, the song is slow and soft, and Meiburg’s singing and guitar playing is a delicate as anywhere else on the album. What I love most about this song is the My Bloody Valentine inspired keyboard melody that hits around 1:43. For whatever reason, the dissonant noise sounds perfect for the album’s subtle sixth track.
Fourth is the piano driven “Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five.” The song explodes with blaring piano as Meiburg’s near-shouted vocals, upright bass, and winding trumpet join in. Once the heavy drums kick in, the song hits a stride that it doesn’t abandon until a soft bridge at the 2:22 mark. However, the song re-remerges soon thereafter, gaining back whatever steam the bridge may have abandoned.
Fifth is the aforementioned track, “La Dame Et La Licorne.” It’s easy to see how the bare-bones nature of this song could create dissonance for any listener, but for me, this song’s simple piano and woeful, powerful vocal track is brilliant. It’s the album opener and really sets the stage for what is to follow. The song begins with Meiburg’s vocals working against the rhythm set by his piano. By the time the song finds its footing, it becomes a striking, falsetto equipped ballad.
Last is the absolutely amazing “Hail, Mary.” Easily my favourite song of the entire record, any comment I’ve made here previously can be applied to this one song; each mentioned element of Shearwater’s music is present here and pulled off perfectly. If there’s one song on this preview mix that one would listen to, this is it. Techniques pulled off perfectly with excellent results. It's almost a disservice to the song by continuing to try to capture its sound. Like I’ve said, it’s everything I've previously said in this post about Shearwater, rolled into one song.
Just press play.
