Shearwater — Backchannels
Album: Jet Plane and OxbowAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 2749
Length: 4:36
Plays (last 30 days): 7
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Oh, when you whistle down the wind
When you needle the dark with your mind
When you're firing volleys of words in an arc
When you're snuffing out all that's still alive
And a droplet falls
From the dropper's eye
Blooms like a wave
That slowly overruns all of your days
And slips the caul
From off your eyes
You face alone
A fear that's dragging us all in its wake
And you kill the lights
I know
You're in the river now
And you yield to the water's embrace
And you lie like a stone on the banks, giving out
As it carries off all of our names
I know that sound
I know what it likes
I know it feels
Like all the guns of a battery trained
Right at your eyes
Because it's real
Because it pulls
A thread of slowly unraveling days
Annihilates
Your mother tongue
Your only light
But hold this sound
Follow it all the way
And put down the knife
The night is here
But still is spinning out stars in its wake
And that stubborn light
Pools in your heart
Warm and nacreous, baby
The milk of sighs
And dreams
When you needle the dark with your mind
When you're firing volleys of words in an arc
When you're snuffing out all that's still alive
And a droplet falls
From the dropper's eye
Blooms like a wave
That slowly overruns all of your days
And slips the caul
From off your eyes
You face alone
A fear that's dragging us all in its wake
And you kill the lights
I know
You're in the river now
And you yield to the water's embrace
And you lie like a stone on the banks, giving out
As it carries off all of our names
I know that sound
I know what it likes
I know it feels
Like all the guns of a battery trained
Right at your eyes
Because it's real
Because it pulls
A thread of slowly unraveling days
Annihilates
Your mother tongue
Your only light
But hold this sound
Follow it all the way
And put down the knife
The night is here
But still is spinning out stars in its wake
And that stubborn light
Pools in your heart
Warm and nacreous, baby
The milk of sighs
And dreams
Comments (101)add comment
coloradojohn wrote:
Indeed ! check it out live...so good !
The drumming on this reminds me of Flaming Lips, and there's a dramatic break with clanging strings that echoes Talk Talk. Great stuff
Indeed ! check it out live...so good !
Seems like you've put this a bit more back into the rotation lately.
THANK YOU!
I love it.
THANK YOU!
I love it.
Any song that includes the word "nacreous" works for me. Very interesting band. Catch the live performance video on YouTube.
I noticed and noted it when it came out that this group, and especially this song, haunted me in just the right ways, just like Talk Talk, and I love those jarring cross-currents of discord. Tonight, this song gave me such a cool, dark Depeche Mode vibe... -- warm and nacreous, baby ~ dig it! I absolutely adore this work!
Bbought the CD and it has aged very well.
Love the Talk Talk vibe.
Love the Talk Talk vibe.
A friend of mine took his own life a few years back. I'd moved ten time zones away and keeping up had been hard... you know how it goes.
When I'd been around, we'd exchanged music suggestions, but I'd never been able to suggest a band that he really loved. He loved music, made his own compilation CDs for friends around the holidays. (Got a Badly Drawn Boy one year and another Travis singing Brittany Spears "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time," which I thought was a pretty funny joke.)
I heard Shearwater for the first time just after he died. It's the band most of all I wish I'd been able to suggest to him. Perhaps Animal Life (surging at the blood's perimeter: / The half remembered wild interior / Of an animal life) or this one. I think I might have had a winner with Shearwater.
When I'd been around, we'd exchanged music suggestions, but I'd never been able to suggest a band that he really loved. He loved music, made his own compilation CDs for friends around the holidays. (Got a Badly Drawn Boy one year and another Travis singing Brittany Spears "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time," which I thought was a pretty funny joke.)
I heard Shearwater for the first time just after he died. It's the band most of all I wish I'd been able to suggest to him. Perhaps Animal Life (surging at the blood's perimeter: / The half remembered wild interior / Of an animal life) or this one. I think I might have had a winner with Shearwater.
I don't know what this song is intended to be about but listening to it on loop for a bit and reviewing the lyrics here, I wonder if it is intended to be about someone considering suicide and someone trying to stop them.
Intended that way or not it's got me deeply moved with that possibility as a suicide survivor many years back
Intended that way or not it's got me deeply moved with that possibility as a suicide survivor many years back
Grayson wrote:
LOL. I bought this album on 180 gram vinyl a few years ago when I was 65 years old.
Apropos of nothing really, but I bought this CD recently when taking kid to the record store (Criminal Records in Atlanta; kid turned her nose up at it when I blasted it in car later; Atlanta kids raised on their Atlanta hiphop/rap, well...), but I love it and it's perfect for car driving. Alone maybe. I hadn't bought a CD in years, but with a new-to-me car with a CD player I'll browse selections if taking kid record shopping.
The children must have vinyl. Is that not the loopiest thing ever?! Can't be a cool kid without having LPs these days, and the wink & nod part is that the children seem to think it's something their parents never really did or surely not in the way THEY do, and they're, like totally, onto something new and big.
At least we're not on f-ing Snapchat and the absurdly faux-everything Instagram 24/7 as they are. Although, had we had all that too in our own LP purchasing days, well...
LOL. I bought this album on 180 gram vinyl a few years ago when I was 65 years old.
I took a gamble by buying this album based on only the 3 songs that I have heard here on RP, and it proved to be a good gamble.
mrtuba9 wrote:
*bump*
Advice for these times...
Holds true during these uncertain times Jack Ryan...
*bump*
Advice for these times...
Holds true during these uncertain times Jack Ryan...
Jonathan Meiburg (vocals and guitar and principal songwriter) is a new Renaissance man; I've just finished his wonderfully entertaining and erudite book A Most Remarkable Creature, about the fabulous caracaras (a variety of bird of prey found mainly in South America).
The Triangle, The Trivium, Thought , Knowledge , Action .
mrtuba9 wrote:
*bump*
Advice for these times...
"Keep the back channels open to stave off disaster"
Jack Ryan, Sum of All Fears, 2002
*bump*
Advice for these times...
What a gorgeous word ... nacreous.
Astonishing.
Jonathan is a great talent...he also did a song with Lætitia Sadier under the Altas Sound name called Quick Canal...Shearwater is great and I wonder why they are not better known.
I'm sure it's been said on this thread before, but this is a GREAT album start to finish. An album, BTW, that I wouldn't have been privy to had it not been for the genius song procurement at Radio Paradise. And that's why I need to leave another donation. RP, y'all rock!
Excellent use of "nacreous".
1 Of, or resembling nacre (mother of pearl).
2 Exhibiting lustrous or rainbow-like colors.
Sometimes used to refer to the oil-slick sheen.
1 Of, or resembling nacre (mother of pearl).
2 Exhibiting lustrous or rainbow-like colors.
Sometimes used to refer to the oil-slick sheen.
"Slowly overruns all of your days." Slowly unraveling days." "Firing volleys of words."
Etc. Most excellent post-prog rock prog rock.
Etc. Most excellent post-prog rock prog rock.
adib wrote:
This is probably the strongest song (but that does present some pretty stiff competition for the remaining tracks).
There are eleven tracks - for me, five of them are excellent, the remaining six I can take or leave. Three of the five are on RP already.
Good take adib. Bought the CD and enjoy it.
This is probably the strongest song (but that does present some pretty stiff competition for the remaining tracks).
There are eleven tracks - for me, five of them are excellent, the remaining six I can take or leave. Three of the five are on RP already.
Good take adib. Bought the CD and enjoy it.
Blijj wrote:
Yes, that was a very clean and crafty manouevre. Same end/start note (chord?). Kudos.
I'm with these guys. I am awed. Great segue. Great job, Bill.
Yes, that was a very clean and crafty manouevre. Same end/start note (chord?). Kudos.
I'm with these guys. I am awed. Great segue. Great job, Bill.
Maybe the best Prog Rock album of the 2010s. Warm and nacreous, Baby.
How did you do that transition? I could not hear where "Yours is No Disgrace" ended and "Backchannels" began. Without watching the player I wouldn't even have noticed.
Get a frisson every time I listen to this
If I let it, this song stops me dead in my tracks.
Every. Time.
Screw it - 8-=> 9.
Every. Time.
Screw it - 8-=> 9.
If you don't know Shearwater, I'd seriously check out their back catalogue, especially the wonderful Animal Joy andThe Golden Archipelago.
I loved that documentary about them ... 'Almost Famous'
Nacreous-- Learned something new today. Nothing to do with necrosis.
Yes to Shearwater. Works for me. Thx Bill.
NICE!
westslope wrote:
This is probably the strongest song (but that does present some pretty stiff competition for the remaining tracks).
There are eleven tracks - for me, five of them are excellent, the remaining six I can take or leave. Three of the five are on RP already.
So what is the rest of the CD like?
This is probably the strongest song (but that does present some pretty stiff competition for the remaining tracks).
There are eleven tracks - for me, five of them are excellent, the remaining six I can take or leave. Three of the five are on RP already.
"Keep the back channels open to stave off disaster"
Jack Ryan, Sum of All Fears, 2002
Jack Ryan, Sum of All Fears, 2002
There's just something about this that hits it for me. 8 to 9. Just love it.
Incredible song
Apropos of nothing really, but I bought this CD recently when taking kid to the record store (Criminal Records in Atlanta; kid turned her nose up at it when I blasted it in car later; Atlanta kids raised on their Atlanta hiphop/rap, well...), but I love it and it's perfect for car driving. Alone maybe. I hadn't bought a CD in years, but with a new-to-me car with a CD player I'll browse selections if taking kid record shopping.
The children must have vinyl. Is that not the loopiest thing ever?! Can't be a cool kid without having LPs these days, and the wink & nod part is that the children seem to think it's something their parents never really did or surely not in the way THEY do, and they're, like totally, onto something new and big.
At least we're not on f-ing Snapchat and the absurdly faux-everything Instagram 24/7 as they are. Although, had we had all that too in our own LP purchasing days, well...
The children must have vinyl. Is that not the loopiest thing ever?! Can't be a cool kid without having LPs these days, and the wink & nod part is that the children seem to think it's something their parents never really did or surely not in the way THEY do, and they're, like totally, onto something new and big.
At least we're not on f-ing Snapchat and the absurdly faux-everything Instagram 24/7 as they are. Although, had we had all that too in our own LP purchasing days, well...
westslope wrote:
Yes. 6 => 8
So is the lead energy behind this band an ecologist? I ask after having read the lyrics.
Orthinologist (birder) :)
Yes. 6 => 8
So is the lead energy behind this band an ecologist? I ask after having read the lyrics.
Orthinologist (birder) :)
So what is the rest of the CD like?
The RP effect: I hear this song, am enraptured and intrigued, so go to hive.co.uk and buy the CD. Undoubtedly RP has increased my spending on CDs (yeah, I'm a diplodocus and proud :o)) by many 000s of %, and I'll bet I'm not alone. Which is something that artists / bodies demanding increasing royalties for their stuff to be played by RP should bear in mind...
I like that, according to another post, the lead singer is a birder :)
Every time I have the joy and wonder of hearing this song Imma... move it up a notch.
On_The_Beach wrote:
I needed the reminder. :-)
Today is National Bird Day (there had to be one, I guess).
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
I needed the reminder. :-)
This is a gorgeous song. Except for the parts where it's not.
Too bad the charley sounds a bit saturated.
On_The_Beach wrote:
Agreed.
It's got that certain indefinable something . . .
Yes. 6 => 8
So is the lead energy behind this band an ecologist? I ask after having read the lyrics.
Agreed.
It's got that certain indefinable something . . .
Yes. 6 => 8
So is the lead energy behind this band an ecologist? I ask after having read the lyrics.
Wow! The lyrics are incredibly moving. Nearly made me cry.
MJMJ wrote:
Me too! Not bad for a pretend band!
I keep thinking this is the band from Almost Famous (Stillwater).
Me too! Not bad for a pretend band!
nelamvr6 wrote:
Agreed.
It's got that certain indefinable something . . .
I'm liking this more every time I hear it...
Agreed.
It's got that certain indefinable something . . .
I'm liking this more every time I hear it...
One of my favorite albums of the last few years. This song is among the best, but it’s solid end to end and shows a fair degree of range. Recommended!
Seems so gentle and then you listen to lyrics... Hits the soft spot, every time.
Live performance is even more powerful.
Godlike.
Live performance is even more powerful.
Godlike.
kosta_n190 wrote:
To me too
8 -> 9 (getting the goosebumps listening to this) and I bought the album - very good.
To me too
8 -> 9 (getting the goosebumps listening to this) and I bought the album - very good.
adib wrote:
To me too
7 -> 8
This is really growing on me...
This is really growing on me...
To me too
Skydog wrote:
love the whole album, lot's of influences that sound so good,
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
Noé wrote:
And TALK TALK
Don't forget the Talking Heads (Filaments).
Their performance of this song on KEXP is on YouTube. It is even more awesome.
Skydog wrote:
Noé wrote:
And TALK TALK
yes Sir, you are correct
love the whole album, lot's of influences that sound so good,
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
Noé wrote:
And TALK TALK
yes Sir, you are correct
Skydog wrote:
And TALK TALK
love the whole album, lot's of influences that sound so good,
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
And TALK TALK
Is there such a thing as a lead drummer?
7 -> 8
This is really growing on me...
This is really growing on me...
I like this band because I love this song. "Prime" is a very good starting song, very progressive and with echos of past-pink floyd. Yeah, I think so. Maybe my brain is broken... but I like it.
love the whole album, lot's of influences that sound so good,
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
you can hear Bowie's "Lodger" and "Heroes",....luv it
best album of 2016
The drumming on this reminds me of Flaming Lips, and there's a dramatic break with clanging strings that echoes Talk Talk. Great stuff
aspicer wrote:
I've just listened to their catalogue on Spotify and I feel they are well worth investigating. They've been around a long time, so listening to their development was fascinating. I missed their visit to The Fleece here in 2014, which I am disappointed about. Next time, for sure ...
This must be a VERY solid album - there are several tunes I keep hearing here that are great.
I've just listened to their catalogue on Spotify and I feel they are well worth investigating. They've been around a long time, so listening to their development was fascinating. I missed their visit to The Fleece here in 2014, which I am disappointed about. Next time, for sure ...
On_The_Beach wrote:
It's contributions like this make PR forum very special.
I'm actually listening at work and over the past week through my window I've been watching two birds as they make a nest on top of the tree. How beautiful it is to witness the miracles of nature in the middle of a busy city. This song was a beautiful backdrop and I'm so glad I checked the comments too.
Today is National Bird Day (there had to be one, I guess).
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
It's contributions like this make PR forum very special.
I'm actually listening at work and over the past week through my window I've been watching two birds as they make a nest on top of the tree. How beautiful it is to witness the miracles of nature in the middle of a busy city. This song was a beautiful backdrop and I'm so glad I checked the comments too.
On_The_Beach wrote:
Good to know.
When I was roughly 8 years old, I knew the location of couple of dozen bird nests in the fields in back of our house. From ringneck pheasants to flickers.
Today is National Bird Day (there had to be one, I guess).
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
Good to know.
When I was roughly 8 years old, I knew the location of couple of dozen bird nests in the fields in back of our house. From ringneck pheasants to flickers.
I like this a lot and others from this album
time to do the clicky thing and have the cd sent my way
time to do the clicky thing and have the cd sent my way
Finally got this album and I'm glad I did. There are a lot of good songs besides the three here on RP!
Today is National Bird Day (there had to be one, I guess).
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
A Shearwater is a seabird.
The leader/singer of Shearwater is an Orthinologist (a bird expert, basically).
Tweet, tweet.
This song is growing on me. The Dr. might have to remove it at some point, but for the moment it's very very good.
I keep thinking this is the band from Almost Famous (Stillwater).
justin4kick wrote:
Ditto...and maybe 2017 too!
My personal favorite for 2016.
Ditto...and maybe 2017 too!
My personal favorite for 2016.
aspicer wrote:
I can't even tell you how many times I've written nearly the SAME THING...RP has sure expanded my audio world
I've been making a deeper dive into this band since hearing them on RP. They are quite good and have a consistently solid sound.....recommended for sure.
I can't even tell you how many times I've written nearly the SAME THING...RP has sure expanded my audio world
I've been making a deeper dive into this band since hearing them on RP. They are quite good and have a consistently solid sound.....recommended for sure.
Beautiful
They have, what appears to be, a dynamite sound!
7 — > 8
I like this band more every time I hear them so looked into them a bit more. They've been around since 1999 and Jet Plane and Oxbow is their 13th release so there's a lot of new (old) material for me to discover. This album is on Amazon Music so you can hear it all there. Also, there's a great version of Backchannels from KEXP on youtube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_PDEAT-_E
I like this band more every time I hear them so looked into them a bit more. They've been around since 1999 and Jet Plane and Oxbow is their 13th release so there's a lot of new (old) material for me to discover. This album is on Amazon Music so you can hear it all there. Also, there's a great version of Backchannels from KEXP on youtube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_PDEAT-_E
ambrebalte wrote:
A bit French maybe. But well spoken!
On another note : déjà-vu "already seen", never used for already heard.
It's related to this feeling, very strange and still mysterious to scientific, although there are some explanations now, when one live a complete sequence of one's life with the feeling of having lived that already. It's a very volatile moment, quite mundane most of the time.
Ah, not pedant, me. Just a bit French
It's related to this feeling, very strange and still mysterious to scientific, although there are some explanations now, when one live a complete sequence of one's life with the feeling of having lived that already. It's a very volatile moment, quite mundane most of the time.
Ah, not pedant, me. Just a bit French
A bit French maybe. But well spoken!
8 —> 9
Awesome
molson wrote:
Agreed, I'm all about their Talk Talk/Talking Heads/Peter Gabriel feel, will now have to check out this album in it's entirety
Love this!!! Thanks Bill, I am now a Shearwater fan!!
Agreed, I'm all about their Talk Talk/Talking Heads/Peter Gabriel feel, will now have to check out this album in it's entirety
7 ---> 8
What a beautiful voice, melodic and calm.
On another note : déjà-vu "already seen", never used for already heard.
It's related to this feeling, very strange and still mysterious to scientific, although there are some explanations now, when one live a complete sequence of one's life with the feeling of having lived that already. It's a very volatile moment, quite mundane most of the time.
Ah, not pedant, me. Just a bit French
On another note : déjà-vu "already seen", never used for already heard.
It's related to this feeling, very strange and still mysterious to scientific, although there are some explanations now, when one live a complete sequence of one's life with the feeling of having lived that already. It's a very volatile moment, quite mundane most of the time.
Ah, not pedant, me. Just a bit French
On_The_Beach wrote:
Yup, those few chords that were played on guitar in the foreground reminded me too of Talk Talk.
Most bands sound similar to at least one other band.
If certain aspects of their sound are similar to A-ha or Talk Talk, I would say it was coincidental.
In any event, I quite like this tune.
If certain aspects of their sound are similar to A-ha or Talk Talk, I would say it was coincidental.
In any event, I quite like this tune.
Yup, those few chords that were played on guitar in the foreground reminded me too of Talk Talk.
Most bands sound similar to at least one other band.
If certain aspects of their sound are similar to A-ha or Talk Talk, I would say it was coincidental.
In any event, I quite like this tune.
If certain aspects of their sound are similar to A-ha or Talk Talk, I would say it was coincidental.
In any event, I quite like this tune.
Vakse wrote:
and in any other language I would call it:
utter rubbish
I really like the Shearwater sound, it is not as screamish as AHA/Morten voice
This track sounds a lot like A-ha to me. Take a closer listen to A-ha's Hunting High and Low for instance. In fact I like both very much.
and in any other language I would call it:
utter rubbish
I really like the Shearwater sound, it is not as screamish as AHA/Morten voice
This track sounds a lot like A-ha to me. Take a closer listen to A-ha's Hunting High and Low for instance. In fact I like both very much.
and in any other language I would call it:
utter rubbish
I really like the Shearwater sound, it is not as screamish as AHA/Morten voice
justin4kick wrote:
That's what I thought! I would call it an A-ha Erlebnis. Which is German for a deja vu. Which is French for, hey I heard this before.
Sloggydog wrote:
and American for copyright infringement??
some good stuff with this song here caught my attention. Thank you!
justin4kick wrote:
That's what I thought! I would call it an A-ha Erlebnis. Which is German for a deja vu. Which is French for, hey I heard this before.
and American for copyright infringement??
That's what I thought! I would call it an A-ha Erlebnis. Which is German for a deja vu. Which is French for, hey I heard this before.
and American for copyright infringement??
rtrt wrote:
That's what I thought! I would call it an A-ha Erlebnis. Which is German for a deja vu. Which is French for, hey I heard this before.
A-ha?
That's what I thought! I would call it an A-ha Erlebnis. Which is German for a deja vu. Which is French for, hey I heard this before.
This must be a VERY solid album - there are several tunes I keep hearing here that are great.
A-ha?
Bill makes life worth living 
, thanks for discovering something new and beautiful almost everyday.
, thanks for discovering something new and beautiful almost everyday.Twangy Talk Talk inspired guitar at one point. Love it.
ps. Great album from start to finish.
ps. Great album from start to finish.
Love this!!! Thanks Bill, I am now a Shearwater fan!!
Thanks Bill! Dig getting turned on to new stuff!
Good tune. Nice to listen to, but also a little complex and moody.
I was hoping this would make the playlist! Magnificent tune.
Really loving this Bill!!! Exciting to hear some new tunes.
Very nice.
This is cool - glad this made it out of the vault?!
Thx RP.