Shearwater - Fellow Travelers

 

Here is what I thought of Shearwater's new album, “Fellow Travelers.” Remember – all scores are out of a possible 10 points.

“I Luv The Valley OH!” - I was hooked on this song from the opening guitar riff. I am a sucker for a guitar hook of this nature as it transports me back to my youth. I like the rich vocals and the whole groovy vibe of this laid back rocker. Score: 9

“Hurts Like Heaven” - On a ballad of his nature, I expect sensational, emotionally real lyrics. These lyrics missed the mark. They were lovely, but nothing that really made me feel anything. The music is beautiful and is the highlight of the song. Score: 6

“Natural One” - A cover version of The Folk Implosion's hit. This is how I feel about cover songs. If you are going to do it, then give it a fresh feel – something new. This band just did the song basically as its original arrangement. There really wasn't anything new or exciting. What a letdown. But good (original) song though. Score: 5

“Ambiguity” - Did they use a harp on this track? If they did – snaps for that. But that aspect is the only one I liked about this song. The lyrics seemed like an 8^th grade poem, and the music was pretty dull. Next. Score: 2

“Cheerleader” - This track seems to drag a bit. It felt like it needed to speed up half a beat or come up half a note – I am not sure which. Better than the last track, but still forgettable. Score: 4

“Tomorrow” - A fun song with another excellent guitar riff. I guess I am a guitar groupie. The lyrics are interesting and I grooved the whole way through this track. Score: 8

“A Wake For The Minotaur” - I think I am missing the big picture of this song. I just didn't get the wimpy lyrics, the subdued music, or the entire point of the track. Wake me up when the next song starts. Score: 0

“Mary Is Mary” - This track is totally lost on me. I didn't care for the slow pace, the lazy vocals, or the sad music. Next. Score: 0

“Fucked Up Life” - Um, no. These lyrics are kind of creeper. These are things a creeper would say to a girl to get on her good side. Is this who the target audience is? If so, I doubt tweens would be interested in this kind of music. Score: 0

Average Track Score: 3.8 Would I recommend this to my friends? Absolutely not. This album seems to go off the rails halfway through and never recovers.

Escalader,

Jim