The first 10,000 copies of the latest album from Shearwater, The Golden Archipelago,
came with an accompanying 50-page book. If that isn't daunting enough, the album itself is. The quiet, understated music builds to an apex of euphoria -- that is, if you stick around long enough to listen. In the beginning, Shearwater was Okkervil River's quiet little brother, formed as an outlet by Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg for softer songs that didn't fit in the Austin band's varied, prolific catalog. It makes sense: Unlike Okkervil River, Shearwater opts for cerebral beauty over simmering rage -- most of the time, anyway.
Meiburg and Sheff went their separate ways in 2008 when Meiburg left Okkervil River to pursue Shearwater full time. Seeing the band live will give space and breadth to Shearwater's compositions, allowing them to breathe and come to life. (Shearwater has a local tie to Lawrence. The band used the multi-instrumental talents of local Hospital Ships songwriter Jordan Geiger this summer on tour.)
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