Shearwater

Fellow Travelers (Sub Pop)

“Sixty million years ago, this was the bottom of the ocean,” writes Jonathan Meiburg of the lonely stretch of I-10 through West Texas. “Tonight, though, it’s just the highway to El Paso.” The liner notes for Shearwater’s new covers LP, songs cribbed from tourmates ranging from St. Vincent (“Cheerleader”) and Xiu Xiu (“I Luv the Valley Oh!”) to Coldplay (“Hurts Like Heaven”) and the Folk Implosion (“Natural One”), doubles as a road journal. The Austin sextet reinvents the songs behind the bandleader’s intimidating vocal flourish, though few provide particular improvement over the originals. New single “A Wake for the Minotaur” burns behind Sharon Van Etten’s vocals and Clinic’s “Tomorrow” punches with Meiburg’s articulate enunciation traded with Chris Flemmons’, the UK quartet returning the homage in backing the Baptist Generals’ “Fucked Up Life.” Fellow Travelers: slightly different perspectives of the same road.

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This article appears in November 29 • 2013.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.