Shearwater

Over two decades and seven albums, Shearwater have created an epic, inspiring, and adventurous body of work, from the orchestral art-rock of Rook and The Golden Archipelago (Matador) to the lean, driving anthems of Jet Plane and Oxbow and Animal Joy (Sub Pop). Led by singer and writer Jonathan Meiburg, the band's songs range from intricate miniatures to grand landscapes, walking the line between joy and sorrow, hope and anger. Better-known musicians have taken note: Shearwater have toured with artists from St. Vincent to Coldplay, and in 2018 the band performed an elaborate reconstruction of David Bowie's "Berlin" Trilogy for WNYC's New Sounds program (available on the band's Bandcamp page). Shearwater's new album, The Great Awakening (2022), might be their most stirring and cohesive—but new listeners will find entire worlds to explore in their catalogue.