Shearwater
One of my favorite bands of the moment, Shearwater were destined to play several times during the SXSW Music Fest, but I made sure I caught them early on, away from the insanity of the Festival. Although one of the members thought the set was lacking ("we haven't practiced at all"), it was my first chance to hear material off of the forthcoming Palo Santo in a live setting.
The new Shearwater has morphed over the last year or so. Its current carnation is the moreso brainchild of Jonathan Meiburg than ever before, as Will Sheff has left to concentrate more on Okkervil River. No longer content to be labelled Okkervil's overlooked younger brother, the Shearwater of today are a little noisier (for the first time: distortion), a little more rock'n'roll, a whole lot more evil, and just as mesmerizing as ever. To my ears, Palo Santo is like being caught in a gorgeous, frightening, powerful thunderstorm: moments of thunder and lightning, and eerie calm interspersed with Meiburg's ruby-throated vocals.
Photographs on this site are © Kathryn Yu. Don't steal.
