Shearwater - Palo Santo (Matador, 2007 Reissue)

A little background: Palo Santo was originally released in 2006 on Misra Records, then repackaged and reissued in 2007 when the band switched labels to Matador Records. A number of the songs on the reissue have been re-recorded, in order to sound more similar to what the band originally heard in their heads, plus an 8-song bonus disc consisting of demos, bonus tracks and covers has been added. I have not heard the original version of the album, so I can't make any comparison, however, I can say that Palo Santo (the reissued and, henceforth, definitive version) is an excellent album.
Palo Santo is Shearwater's fourth album. The band was formed in Austin, Texas, in 2001 when Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg - both of Okkervil River - required an outlet for their softer songs. Those looking for a sound similar to Okkervil River may be somewhat disappointed, as on this album Sheff has played a lesser role, leaving the songwriting duties - as well as lead vocal duties - in the safe hands of Meiburg. That being said, it is not difficult to spot the similar aesthetic shared by the two groups, be they with regard to the sound or just the general mood of the album.
A lazy person may classify Shearwater's music as Americana. I prefer the hyphenate friendly: Texan-Gothic-Folk-Rock. The NME would be proud of that sort of creative genre invention! Shearwater's sound is expansive; it is delicate and, in parts, haunting, though it also has moments of bar brawl swagger, evident on one of my favorite tracks, White Waves.
It took me at least two or three listens before Palo Santo began to fully reveal itself to me, though now that it has, I discover something new - a lyric, a melody, a sound - every time I press play.

Check Out: http://www.myspace.com/shearwater / www.shearwatermusic.com