Word: musicals
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Formed in Austin, Texas, Shearwater are named after the graceful bird that inhabits several tropical islands. Co-founder Jonathon Meiberg, the singer, guitarist, and driving creative force behind the band, imbues his music with a romantic touch derived from his love of nature. His music overflows with emotion and spirituality, attempting to contrast nature’s purity to society’s artificiality...
...suggests a reversion to an innocent and natural life, immediately hinting at the album’s anti-societal theme. Unfortunately, after appreciating the cover, it is probably best to leave “The Golden Archipelago” alone, as the album fails to achieve the quality of music necessary to back up such a powerful message...
...some sense, repertory concerts are artistically riskier than premieres. Both performers and listeners tend to engage new music with greater spontaneity and sincerity. To the audience, novelty grants the right to have an opinion; to the musicians, it offers a chance to experiment, play, and even occasionally be less than perfect...
...become stale and pedantic. “Hidden Lakes,” to take just one example, maintains an aura that is reminiscent of “Meridian,” which primarily derives from Meiberg’s unchanging singing style and the repetitive nature of the underlying music. Not only is the lack of variety monotonous, it also detracts from the merits of each individual song, as each seems incapable of saying anything original...
Amidst the plethora of blunt, hackneyed messages from Shearwater, they seem not to have focused enough on developing the music. Despite a few strong tracks and some occasionally thought-provoking imagery, when faced with the prospect of re-listening to “The Golden Archipelago,” it’s much more tempting to put on something a little less heavy-handed...