Jet Plane And Oxbow
by Shearwater
  • Record Label: Sup Pop
  • Release Date: Jan 22, 2016
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Record Collector
    Jan 22, 2016
    60
    The robotic, new wave sheen of Quiet Americans fares slightly better, but on the whole, this record falls somewhat short of Shearwater’s usually excellent capabilities.
  2. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 22, 2016
    60
    It’s just a little too saggy round the middle.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best Album of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. BlackSheepBoy
    Jan 30, 2016
    10
    I've thought every Shearwater album til now was pretty good, with some moments of greatness here and there. But this latest album is nothingI've thought every Shearwater album til now was pretty good, with some moments of greatness here and there. But this latest album is nothing but moments of greatness, definitely their best one yet. This is a band that learns, matures, and gets better and better. Best music release so far this year.… Full Review »
  2. MikeHixx
    Jan 27, 2016
    9
    They've been throwing out hints of a heavier, more complex sound for a couple records now, with tracks like Immaculate on Animal Life, and theThey've been throwing out hints of a heavier, more complex sound for a couple records now, with tracks like Immaculate on Animal Life, and the recent covers record. That sound and direction is fully realized here. The sleepy, droney numbers from the early Palo Santo + Rook era are essentially gone, like Meiberg decided to go to the gym and get ripped, musically speaking. Great record.… Full Review »
  3. MChimera
    Jan 22, 2016
    10
    I’ve loved the music of Shearwater since I first heard Rook back in 2008. So in fairness, I’m not exactly a dispassionate critic. On theI’ve loved the music of Shearwater since I first heard Rook back in 2008. So in fairness, I’m not exactly a dispassionate critic. On the other hand, past glories aren’t necessarily a boon to an artist who has shifted directions this radically in the intervening years, somehow evolving from lushly orchestrated indy-folk to this latest offering of retro-electro rock. But it works, it really works; Jonathan Meiburg has managed the tricky business of creating songs which are accessible without selling his soul.

    I pre-ordered, so I’ve been streaming Jet Plane and Oxbow since late December, which means the album has had some time to settle in with me. The cliché “rewards repeated listening” definitely applies here. The album succeeds by being straightforward but embellished with its detailed and layered arrangements. It’s supposed to be a protest record, but it’s not a “grab a sign, take to the streets and vote the way I tell you” protest record. It’s a “look deeply into the darkness of your own soul” protest record. You don’t have one of those already? Well, here you go.

    The melodic loveliness of the older material is still here on tracks like “Backchannels,” now paired with the rock and roll urgency of “Long Time Away,” “Radio Silence,” and the funky “Filaments.” You can sense the astral presence of Byrne and Eno in “Filaments,” but I love that stuff, so sue me. If anything, there’s a little too much Springsteen in “Radio Silence,” but it completely redeems itself at the sudden kick at “in disarray.” Like novels, I prefer songs where I can’t guess the ending.

    The music is graced with lyrics that are nuanced and thoughtful. “The night is here/But still is spinning out stars in its wake” (gives me chills); “a dirty old town that some killing made holy” (At last! Somebody had the guts to say it!) The most obviously political song is “Quiet Americans,” but you should watch the video: deceptively simple, it grows deeper the more you think about it – like all of the songs on this album, really.

    I was on the fence about whether to rate this a 9 (because nothing in this world is perfect, and my sneaking suspicion that Meiburg can still go yet better) or a 10 (shamelessly fangirling.) But “Prime” should win an award for “Best use of dulcimer in a rock song ever,” and anyone who can pull off using the word “nacreous” in a lyric without sounding pretentious, labored or pedantic surely deserves the extra point.    … Full Review »
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