You’ll be swayed by the passion, even if the message remains unclear.

Five years is an eternity in the life of a record. When coming up with this feature, the question the Spectrum Culture staff pondered was this: “How well do these albums play NOW!” Not five years ago, but how have they aged in our memories. While some acclaimed albums of ’08 remain strong on our list, some critically-lauded ones didn’t …

[xrr rating=3.5/5]Cover albums often have the unsavory smack of laziness or at the very least contractual obligation. It is only on the rarest of occasions that such a collection actually reveals something meaningful about the artist responsible, deepening understanding of the works that preceded it (or followed it, for that matter). The newest release from Shearwater—the band’s ninth overall—does just …

(Photo: David Harris) Amid a stretch of balmy but mild mid-July evenings, Shearwater graced Portland’s intimate Mississippi Studios with their brand of literate, brooding rock swagger. Following a set from openers Husky of Australia that didn’t quite adhere, their careful arrangements never managing to find purchase with the audience except toward the very end, the Austin-based headliners’ moodier, rawer compositions …

[xrr rating=4.25/5]After three records of muted insularity (Palo Santo), explorations taken on the wing (Rook) and heady island-hopping over open water (Golden Archipelago), it was about time Shearwater got in touch with its baser impulses. The loosely unified “Island Arc” trilogy put to bed like a grim and intricate yet surprisingly brilliant fairy tale, the Texas-based trio led by Jonathan …

Any fan of Shearwater knows that frontman Jonathan Meiburg loves birds. Besides being an ornithologist, he also names songs and even his band after birds. I decided not to ask him about birds or his association with Okkervil River. Instead, Meiburg and I spent 30 minutes before his set at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge talking about travel, the South Pacific …

Shearwater The Golden Archipelago Rating: 3.5/5.0 Label: Matador Founded by Okkervil River’s Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff, Shearwater moved out of the shadow of its cousin band over the course of the ’00s and came into its own as a compelling, NPR-beloved and sometimes majestic indie band. They peaked with 2008’s Rook and are following that album with The Golden …