Shearwater
Winged Life (Misra) Originally a side project for Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff of Okkervil River, Shearwater has become a full-fledged band. Describing its sound isn’t easy, made harder by their decision to use a virtual kitchen sink of instruments to get their musical ideas across. Winged Life, Shearwater’s third effort, steps away from their past work. Echoes of the fragile, somber folk of the band’s first two discs remain, only now there’s elaborate and unconventional arrangements featuring piano, strings, lap steel, Wurlitzer organ, and vibes. Meiburg takes on the majority of vocal chores, and his voice possesses a fragile choirboy quality that perfectly matches the delicate nature of the musical atmospheres the band creates. At times, that means coming across like Nick Drake fronting Alejandro Escovedo’s Orchestra. But Winged Life is not all sweetness and dark. “(I’ve Got a) Right to Cry” is bouncy, Ben Folds-style sing-along pop, while “Sealed” gets prog-rock screechy on the order of King Crimson. There’s a legion of bands with wide musical palettes – odd sounds, intricate arrangements, and quirky lyrics – but with Meiburg’s distinctive vocals and songs, Winged Life points to Shearwater as one of the most original of the bunch. (Saturday, March 20, 10pm @ Maggie Mae’s)
This article appears in March 19 • 2004.