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Q MagazineJan 7, 2014It's a curious detour rather than a sturdy follow-up to 2012's Animal Joy, but as a distillation of all those scattered flyers and setlists, it's a quietly touching piece of memorabilia. [Jan 2014, p.125]
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MojoDec 18, 2013It's possible that it all makes rather more sense to the creators than it does to the listeners. [Jan 2014, p.102]
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Dec 5, 2013Shearwater’s selection of covers is as diverse as their own discography.
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Dec 2, 2013Despite lending his rich, soulful vocals to an eclectic collection of tracks, including versions of songs originally by Coldplay and Wye Oak, the streamlined, country-tinged production waters the songs down.
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Nov 26, 2013Jonathan Meiburg’s weary, swooping baritone (he sings like a sentient cello) and the sighing cabin-folk that works so well for “A Wake for the Minotaur” (an original duet with tourmate Van Etten snuck in on a technicality) flattens out much of the album.
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Nov 25, 2013Although this album is unlikely to change any existing opinion about a band whose left of centre sensibilities have always meant successfully evading wider acceptance, there is enough richness in the material here to merit far more than classing Fellow Travelers as a mere novelty.
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Nov 22, 2013One hopes that the Austin band takes lessons from both the successes and failures of Fellow Travelers: taking risks here and there often pays off, but don’t mess with a vocal formula that works.
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Nov 20, 2013Despite the overall melange approach being a little uneven, there are some genuine delights to be found within.
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Nov 20, 2013Fellow Travellers is a missed opportunity for a great covers album, but as a shout-out to friends, it epitomises everything that’s endearing and admirable about Shearwater.
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Dec 9, 2013This is the kind of music Shearwater plays best--the it gives the band the space they need. It is a damned shame most of Fellow Travelers opposes this idea, with songs that are defined too rigidly for the Texan reimaginists.
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Nov 27, 2013Fellow Travelers can be seen as Shearwater showing their scratch work, and while great cover albums can be a revelation or an embarrassment, most end up right around here: which is to say, admirable and flawed.
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Nov 27, 2013Fellow Travelers was never intended as more than a stopgap release between records; that said, it's hardly as essential as any of Shearwater's self-penned albums.
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Nov 27, 2013The Austin sextet reinvents the songs behind the bandleader's intimidating vocal flourish, though few provide particular improvement over the originals.
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Nov 26, 2013As a full-length record, Fellow Travelers includes too many songs that come off like that neutered high note as opposed to an original, undeniable, caterwauling scream.