There is something about the new album Palo Santo from the band Shearwater that I just can’t put my finger on. Quite a departure from the band’s earlier material, this no longer feels like an Okkervil River side-project. Jonathan Meiburg now sings all the songs and Will Sheff doesn’t seem to appear anywhere near this record.
“The band’s fourth album is a thrilling, paradoxical record—icily warm, welcoming and threatening, sloppy and immaculate.”
This is a stark record and full of space, but a bit different than the band’s Gothic folk sound as heard on previous records. I can’t help but give comparisons to bands like The Decemberists, The Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel, or even Wolf Parade but stripped down to almost nothing. I mean bare. Good stuff that needs a listen.
Palo Santo should be out on Misra Records on May 9th.
MP3 | Shearwater – Seventy Four, Seventy Five Palo Santo
MP3 | Shearwater – Nobody Palo Santo
thanks for the compliments man. and thanks for posting these shearwater tracks…you’ve got me pretty stoked about it.
I’m enjoying your site man, will be linking it to mine. Can’t wait to check this album out. . . thanks!