Shearwater – Animal Joy

Shearwater have come a long way from their origins as a humble side project for songwriters and former Austin roommates Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff. In the past ten years, and over the course of seven albums, they've shed Sheff, who now focuses his attentions on Okkervil River, and with this latest offering they've almost shaken off their reputation as peddlers of Talk Talk-inspired downtempo songs of love and loss.

Animal Joy is not a radical departure from those trusty themes but it contains surprising moments of energy that previous Shearwater offerings have often lacked. If opener Animal Life startles unsuspecting fans with this altogether more radio-friendly approach, then hearing Immaculate will leave them positively open-mouthed. It's a solid if somewhat polished collection of songs that confirms Meiburg is a lyricist of considerable talent, but also a songwriter clearly feeling constrained by the musical arrangements that previously served him so well.