Will the real Shearwater please stand up! "Thieves", the five song EP from this Austin, Texas group features a band divided against itself and, with six people in the band, it's easy to see how that can happen. While all of Shearwater's tracks feature their distinctive brand of haunting shimmering arrangements, the majority of the tracks are quick to break the soothing spell and soon disintegrate into loud, overly dramatic vocal wailings - a startling (and not in a good way) change from the first few folksy moments. The biggest offender in this area has to be track #3, "Mountain Laurel", a song, which features vocals and lyrics desperate for a melody or at least, a competent backing band. Instead, the sound is filled in by what sounds like a high-school marching band complete with plodding, herky-jerky drumming.
EP some what redeems itself on the final two tracks, the lush "There's a Mark Where You Were Breathing" and the toe-tapping "Near a Garden". On these two tracks, Shearwater finally sounds comfortable and at home. "Near a Garden" even makes a leap by adding the first noticeable attempt at vocal harmony. More harmony (more - meaning better) could have helped fill out this particular track and, in fact, the whole EP.
There's nothing wrong with having a stream-lined, balanced sound grounded in the roots of early American folk music. Until Shearwater chooses and develops a unified sound, the band will continue to produce half-baked discs with too much manufactured style and not enough sensible substance. |