Shearwater seem to have played at Comet steadily once a year for the past one, two, three, ach, I lost count at this stage so it’s a welcome return for a favourite of mine with their new record in tow, Animal Joy, which is getting a regular spin down Blitzgigs Boulevard.
Here’s one to convince of how good their recent album Animal Joy is, it’s called You As You Were:
Shearwater’s career has taken them on an unusual journey. Leader Jonathan Meiburg, one of the original members of fellow Austinites and now indie-rock heavyweights Okkervil River, started the band along with Will Sheff of Okkervil River as a side project but decided to go it alone with Shearwater and after three albums of building up to something approaching their sound today, 2006′s Palo Santo silenced any doubts about his leaving Okkervil River. Before the dust had settled on that exquisite record the next one, Rook, was upon us and suddenly you couldn’t read anything about Shearwater without it being explicitly about their trilogy of albums which was complete with The Golden Archipelago and it’s mysterious cover. Since then they’ve even staged a special one-off show playing all three records live, back to back in a cathedral in Austin.
However, you can talk mystery and album trilogies all you want, what really makes Shearwater is Meiburg. If you’ve seen them live you’ll know he has a stage presence that puts him up there with the likes of Nick Cave. The greatness of Shearwater’s music hangs on those bursts and flourishes in Meiburg’s voice that invariably carry each song, it might only last a few seconds, be it a sudden change tempo or tune but like all great singers it lasts much longer.
This one’s called Run The Banner Down from Animal Joy:
Here’s Castaways off The Golden Archipelago live only last February:
Having recorded the album as the usual constant three-piece that Shearwater is, Kimberly Burke and Thor Harris are taking a break for thi stour and have had their considerable boots filled by the following collection of Austin’s finest: Mitch Billeaud, of Austin band The Lemurs, on guitar and keys, Lucas Oswald (of Minus Story, Hospital Ships, and The Appleseed Cast) on guitar, keys, and backing vocals, Danny Reisch (also of the Lemurs, and the producer of Animal Joy) on drums, and Christiaan Mader (of Brass Bed) on bass and backing vocals.
Julie Doiron opens up for Shearwater tonight and well, what can you write about Doiron that hasn’t already been written. She was in Eric’s Trip for starters. That’s all I’m saying.
Here’s Consolation Prize from her excellent 2009 album I Can Wonder WhatYou Did With Your Day :
