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Buoyed by Jonathan Meiburg’s tremulous vocals and constantly in thrall to the natural world, Shearwater’s music is a rich, suggestive thing. Probing appreciation of our environment has manifested itself across their discography; most recently on 2008’s excellent Rook, which masterfully evoked all manner of avian concerns (principally, that of flight itself). The Golden Archipelago is the third in a loose trilogy also comprising 2006’s Palo Santo, and finds Meiburg broadly contemplating life on remote islands, many of which he’s actually visited.
Numerous acts have plied similar waters in recent years (fine offerings from Bowerbirds, Midlake and Andrew Bird spring to mind), but with The Golden Archipelago, Shearwater really go for broke – a limited run of Meiburg-assembled ‘dossiers’ were even made available, illuminating its central themes via his studies. These themes constitute far more than just a jumping-off point for the group: they’re intrinsic to the record as a whole. Indeed, it’s not the band that greet you upon first listen, but the defiant strains of Bikini Atoll’s national anthem, sung by exiled Bikinians on their adopted isle of Kili.
The band enters with the bare, lilting swell of Meridian. Meiburg’s vocals lapse into such aching falsetto that he could literally be singing the Idiot’s Guide to Value Investing and you’d still root for him; that he’s relaying a tale informed by his grandfather’s wartime experiences in the South Pacific makes it all the more poignant. In contrast, Black Eyes is a jarring, serrated affair, which sees him hollering his lyrics over a magnificent racket. When they want to be – like on the dissonant swirl of Corridors, or the climactic breaks of God Made Me – Shearwater are an exceptionally noisy band, propelled by a staggering range of percussive elements courtesy of drummer Thor Harris. For the most part, however, they revel in dreamy, capacious arrangements (Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden is a long-cited touchstone), and The Golden Archipelago eases into a leisurely second half before bowing out with Missing Islands, where Meiburg’s vocals take the spotlight against plaintive ivories to show-stopping effect.
There’s no getting round it: The Golden Archipelago is a profoundly beautiful record. Replete with moments of jubilance and tranquillity, cataclysm and contemplation, it feels like the successful culmination of everything the band have been aiming towards over their career to date. An assured, often fascinating and eminently listenable set, it’s less an album, more a bona fide artefact. --James Skinner
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a lovely album from start to finish. I came across this band after seeing Okkervil River in concert and liking them rather a lot. Shearwater, for those who don't know, are an offshoot of that band - a collaboration between Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff - ostensibly making 'quieter' music than the Okkervils. Though it's now just Meiburg without Sheff I believe.
I really like the way that this music builds. I must admit a fondness for lo-fi and this is hardly that. But the layering and production of this is lovely. The songs and the music are designed for precision engineering rather than being thrown out off the cuff. But if you want your music multi-layered and highly engineered it doesn't get much better than this. This is music that's been thought through - a lot. I see other reviewers have written about how this comes together so well as an album and I agree wholeheartedly. very well thought through. I know it's a cliche but there really are no 'filler' tracks here. Beautifully produced and Meiburg's voice hangs the songs together fabulously.
It's a shame in a way that this will no doubt be largely ignored by the music-buying public. A shame but give it a try yourself, well worth it.
Stand out track - 'Hidden Lake' (9/10)
I really like the way that this music builds. I must admit a fondness for lo-fi and this is hardly that. But the layering and production of this is lovely. The songs and the music are designed for precision engineering rather than being thrown out off the cuff. But if you want your music multi-layered and highly engineered it doesn't get much better than this. This is music that's been thought through - a lot. I see other reviewers have written about how this comes together so well as an album and I agree wholeheartedly. very well thought through. I know it's a cliche but there really are no 'filler' tracks here. Beautifully produced and Meiburg's voice hangs the songs together fabulously.
It's a shame in a way that this will no doubt be largely ignored by the music-buying public. A shame but give it a try yourself, well worth it.
Stand out track - 'Hidden Lake' (9/10)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have been lucky this year to find some pretty remarkable albums from directions I don't normally travel and I can't quite recall how I came by The Golden Archipelago, but having reached the album I am captivated to the point of going through the my seventh replay within two days.
The restlessness of the music reflects the ocean and the sky, combining with the soaring vocals of Jonathan Meiburg in songs varying between gentle and reflective and stirringly angry result in what must be for me the album of 2010 and that is against some quite very impressive opposition.
The 10 folk before me have said it all, but I just had to add my voice to approval and appreciation of this stunning work.
I've intended in other instances to collect other works of bands new to me, in this case it will not be just a back-burner sort of aim, but a firm resolve. Excellent!
The restlessness of the music reflects the ocean and the sky, combining with the soaring vocals of Jonathan Meiburg in songs varying between gentle and reflective and stirringly angry result in what must be for me the album of 2010 and that is against some quite very impressive opposition.
The 10 folk before me have said it all, but I just had to add my voice to approval and appreciation of this stunning work.
I've intended in other instances to collect other works of bands new to me, in this case it will not be just a back-burner sort of aim, but a firm resolve. Excellent!
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When Will Sheff branched out from Okkervil River in 2001 in order to exorcise the need for "quieter material", probably neither he nor fellow riverman Jonathan Meiburg foresaw their Shearwater sideshow nestling on equal terms with their beloved day job in the future.
Nevertheless, a few years later, the sprawling and magnificently indulgent Palo Santo plucked the pair's endeavours from obscurity to win them critical plaudits. Its successor, Rook, confirmed the streak amid equally gushing praise, and The Golden Archipelago is now looking like following suit even though Sheff has now returned to Okkervil River full time.
The equal parts epic and introspective folk-rock that Meiburg has at his fingers is enviable in any guise, and his dramatic vocal is again striking, lacing the The Golden Archipelago project together with sufficiently unhinged and pining baritones in places, falsetto led laments in others.
The album opens in Dawntreader-like opulence as "Meridian" swells, emerging from a frosty fog. Its soft but determined percussion provides urgency. Its piano echoes are clean and crisp. Next, "Black Eyes" is a rousing moment of power, a challenge laid not to the elements but seemingly by them. The widescreen nature of the track and corroborating battle cry put forth by Meiburg hint at Sunset Rubdown's sense of epic, the nymph-like backing choir duly shiver and shy in compliment.
Elsewhere, the results aren't quite as stirring but still play their support role well, twinkling and lapping as appropriate. However, the pace is quickened for the galloping "Corridors", which crashes amid Meiburg's dynamic straining. He pleas, expounds and emotes in wide-eyed reverence. The climax of "God Made Me" reprises these crashing waves, and "Castaways" hits with surging power. Meiburg here fights the good fight as the menacing percussion evokes a brewing storm and distant thunder. The calm though is duly restored by "An Insular Life", an altogether more soothing offering that paints an idyllic existence on far flung shores. The Golden Archipelago exits gently, crying out of shot with the effectively melancholic "Missing Islands".
Following an aquatic theme, and buoyed by promotional dossiers consisting of photos of remote islands, it was clear The Golden Archipelago was never going to be an average collection of superficial platitudes. And Meiburg does not disappoint, providing sufficient anchor against a rising tide of ankle-biting contemporaries.
Shearwater have created a serious album and one dealt with beautifully. There are few entry points to the album's depths except at the opener "Meridian", and few exits except at its closing moment. The Golden Archipelago flows from beginning to end majestically, its water cool and powerful, waters in which it is more than easy to be swept away.
Nevertheless, a few years later, the sprawling and magnificently indulgent Palo Santo plucked the pair's endeavours from obscurity to win them critical plaudits. Its successor, Rook, confirmed the streak amid equally gushing praise, and The Golden Archipelago is now looking like following suit even though Sheff has now returned to Okkervil River full time.
The equal parts epic and introspective folk-rock that Meiburg has at his fingers is enviable in any guise, and his dramatic vocal is again striking, lacing the The Golden Archipelago project together with sufficiently unhinged and pining baritones in places, falsetto led laments in others.
The album opens in Dawntreader-like opulence as "Meridian" swells, emerging from a frosty fog. Its soft but determined percussion provides urgency. Its piano echoes are clean and crisp. Next, "Black Eyes" is a rousing moment of power, a challenge laid not to the elements but seemingly by them. The widescreen nature of the track and corroborating battle cry put forth by Meiburg hint at Sunset Rubdown's sense of epic, the nymph-like backing choir duly shiver and shy in compliment.
Elsewhere, the results aren't quite as stirring but still play their support role well, twinkling and lapping as appropriate. However, the pace is quickened for the galloping "Corridors", which crashes amid Meiburg's dynamic straining. He pleas, expounds and emotes in wide-eyed reverence. The climax of "God Made Me" reprises these crashing waves, and "Castaways" hits with surging power. Meiburg here fights the good fight as the menacing percussion evokes a brewing storm and distant thunder. The calm though is duly restored by "An Insular Life", an altogether more soothing offering that paints an idyllic existence on far flung shores. The Golden Archipelago exits gently, crying out of shot with the effectively melancholic "Missing Islands".
Following an aquatic theme, and buoyed by promotional dossiers consisting of photos of remote islands, it was clear The Golden Archipelago was never going to be an average collection of superficial platitudes. And Meiburg does not disappoint, providing sufficient anchor against a rising tide of ankle-biting contemporaries.
Shearwater have created a serious album and one dealt with beautifully. There are few entry points to the album's depths except at the opener "Meridian", and few exits except at its closing moment. The Golden Archipelago flows from beginning to end majestically, its water cool and powerful, waters in which it is more than easy to be swept away.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
So Beautiful
The human singing voice is an odd thing, and the more distinctive it is, the more possible it is for the listener to be turned off. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Twig
The Good Ship Shearwater Sails Ever so Slightly Off-Course
2008's `Rook' was one of the outstanding releases of that year, an album that was perfectly formed in most every way, from the expertly paced track sequence to the consistent... Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2010 by Man Without a Soul
A grower
I would echo the comments made by Big Rich. This, however, was my first taste of Shearwater. On a first listen I thought, 'Nice enough, but nothing special.'. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by Graeme
Rewards more with every listen
Agree with other reviewers here - this album is not immediate, but then in retrospect I don't think Rook was either - it just feels like the tunes from that album are ingrained... Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2010 by C. Boyd
my new favourite band...
Expectation is everything. Whether it's a book, film or record, eagerly awaiting a release from someone you revere is a mixture of hoping for the best and dreading the worst-the... Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2010 by BigRich
Sounds like a Classic
This is an album that takes you on a journey. It is by turns epic, grandiloquent, elegaic. Powerfully sung, this is a widescreen folk/rock opus. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by avl06
Shearwater - awe-inspiring loveliness and evocative grandeur
Shearwater are an exceptional and extraordinary band. What was essentially a side project for Jonathan Meiburg from the wonderful Okkervil River and from fellow resident genius... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by Red on Black
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