ANIMAL JOY

The follow up to SHEARWATER's island arc of albums and their crossover folk prog masterpiece "The Golden Archipelago" cranks up the rock factor to maybe a 5 but, surprisingly, coming from this folkie, that's not where they lose points. The opener is like a "Talk to the Animals" for Doctor Dolittle's more eco-savvy great great grandchildren, and should have been a hit if that matters at all to anyone reading this, while "Breaking the Yearlings" is almost as catchy and even more raucous, with its pounding beats and throwback organ. For a bit of the old islands feeling we have the low key eerie "Believing makes it easy".

It's the hypnotically dull and morose paeans to the Lords of Languish TALK TALK that lose me in the core of this project. "Insolence" in particular could have been an average track at half its length, and the next couple are ploddingly soporific as well. While they may idolize TALK TALK for good reasons, in these instances Meiburg and co seem to forget that, while they have only only a tiny fraction of that band's listenership, their fans are just as passionate and listen for that singular and joyous, slightly fuzzy and cuddly Shearwater voice. .

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