Of Birds and Chess Pieces

Until the last year I had no idea who Shearwater was.  Since I started listening to WTMD before and then Sirius XM’s XMU station, I’ve realized I really don’t know much of anything about indie rock.  Sure, I have heard and even owned some albums from bands that were considered “indie rock”, but the sheer vastness of indie rock music out there surprised me a while back.  Now that I’m engrossed in this project, I am learning more and more not only about current indie bands but also about the generations of indie rock that have come and gone.

Anyway, back to Shearwater, the band was created as a side project for two members from the band Okkervil River—Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff.  Unlike Okkervil River’s music, Shearwater’s music tends to be quiet and peaceful.  The word “shearwater” means “a tribe of seabirds related to petrels and albatrosses” and was coined as the band name by Meiburg, who also happens to be an ornithologist (look it up).  Sheff has since returned to Okkervil River and left Shearwater while Meiburg carries on with Shearwater (having himself left Okkervil River).  Shearwater has toured with numerous bands, including Blonde Redhead and Coldplay.  Their record Rook is the subject of my next entry.

#153 – Shearwater, Rook (Metascore = 85)

To briefly speak on the album title, “rook” defined is “a black, European crow”, “a swindler”, and “one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any number of unobstructed squares horizontally or vertically (in chess)”.  While chess has nothing to do with this album, the crow certainly does.  Meiburg frequently alludes to birds in album titles and songs.

“On the Death of the Waters” begins very quietly with piano and vocals until a minute in the music explodes from the speakers.  “Rooks” is a rollicking song about the eventual takeover of the world by birds of the skies and the paralysis of man.  As I’ve mentioned, there are many references to birds and nature in the lyrics, and Meiburg’s vocals give an airy quality to the lyrics.  Meiburg at times sounds like Roger Waters at his weakest on The Wall, but more often I am reminded of Bon Iver.

Musically this album is very beautiful.  The band tastefully mixes in strings and other instruments into their acoustic guitars, drums, and upright bass.  “Home Life” provides the best mix of all of those things, a song that is mostly quiet but has moments of elegance in its mix of the strings with the rest.  “Century Eyes”, unlike many of the other songs, rocks along with electric guitars, horns, and a steady drumbeat; this is the heaviest song on the record if you ask me.

I don’t remember how many times I have heard this over the last year—perhaps three times.  Each listen I get a better appreciation for the music here.  No, it’s not the best thing I have heard on this journey, but it’s not a bad record.  What gives this record strength is its music and its steady references.  I think the Metascore is appropriate here.