Winged Life

Talk Talk covering early Elton John or Bert Jansch anticipating the Smiths; that's as close as we can get to describing Shearwater's "Winged Life." The truth is, with its elaborate and unconventional arrangements, richly layered production and conscious efforts to not recreate the past, this is a difficult record to pigeonhole. One or two songs on "Winged Life" partake of the somber, restrained delicacy of Shearwater's last two records, but everywhere else the band has loosened up, allowed that delicacy to bloom or crumble, and is trying new things -- from the dark and urgent groove of "Whipping Boy" to the buoyant pop of "A Makeover," from the "The World in 1984"'s wry soft rock to the almost prog-y tension of "Sealed." As a result, "Winged Life" bridges many musical gaps -- its songs are melodic and narrative-based enough to appeal to fans of Belle & Sebastian, yet unique enough to be mentioned in the same breath as artists like the Notwist or Broken Social Scene. (Shearwater's Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg are also members of Okkervil River.)