Jet Plane And Oxbow
by Shearwater
  • Record Label: Sup Pop
  • Release Date: Jan 22, 2016
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Blurt Magazine
    Jan 21, 2016
    100
    The bold artistic statement that is this record will have people talking about it for years to come.
  2. AllMusic
    Jan 27, 2016
    90
    Coming in at just over 50 minutes, it's the band's most streamlined collection of music since 2008's career-defining Rook, and their most vital offering to date.
  3. The Line of Best Fit
    Jan 21, 2016
    85
    Shearwater strikes a proper balance between anxiety and artistry on this new record, a tenuous equilibrium that the world desperately needs to find on its own at the moment.
  5. Under The Radar
    Jan 14, 2016
    85
    Producer Danny Reisch's Pointillistic approach to sonic detail helps bolster Meiburg's strongest melodies to date. Far from retro, Jet Plane and Oxbow lives up to its Back to the Future billing.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Jan 22, 2016
    83
    The album doesn’t always fulfill its ambitions, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially with results as muscular as this one.
  7. The 405
    Feb 29, 2016
    80
    This is Shearwater taking a leap out of their usual rustic world and it's a world in which they could thrive in the future. If they don't come back here again, Jet Plane and Oxbow presents a wonderful snapshot.
  8. Delusions of Adequacy
    Feb 10, 2016
    80
    Whilst long-time fans may still understandably prefer the more complex and organic ilk of 2007’s The Rook or 2010’s The Golden Archipelago, Jet Plane And Oxbow enjoyably expands Shearwater’s widescreen reach without losing what can make the band so special.
  9. Dusted Magazine
    Jan 28, 2016
    80
    A weird aura of nostalgia hangs over Jet Plane, the longing you might feel for a Buckeroo Banzai future that never quite happened. And yet, most of these tracks are very urgent, very present, very right now.
  10. The Skinny
    Jan 26, 2016
    80
    Only occasionally does the grandeur threaten to run away from them, as on the over-blustery Pale Kings; otherwise, their form is more or less impeccable, with the swooning vocal melodies of Backchannels and the off-kilter creep of Filaments among its standout elements.
  11. musicOMH.com
    Jan 25, 2016
    80
    Whether this is Shearwater’s finest album is debatable; some fans may still miss the more rustic, hushed and unpolished vibe of 2006’s Palo Santo. Undoubtedly, though, it’s a record of confidence and passion, fronted by a man with plenty to say.
  12. The Guardian
    Jan 21, 2016
    80
    Terrific stuff.
  13. Mojo
    Jan 14, 2016
    80
    Jet Plane And Oxbow pulls together crisp, motorik grooves, dirty great guitar riffs and arms-aloft choruses. [Feb 2016, p.90]
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  14. Uncut
    Jan 14, 2016
    80
    The result: Meiburg's finest album to date. [Feb 2016, p.80]
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  15. PopMatters
    Jan 14, 2016
    80
    Jet Plane and Oxbow is a remarkably polished, alluring, and dignified accomplishment.
  16. Austin Chronicle
    Feb 11, 2016
    78
    The locals' strength remains in crafting massive soundscapes, from the onslaught of guitar and electronic quips on "Radio Silence" to the balladic stillness of "Only Child." Meiburg's agenda isn't political. It's sonic.
  17. Pitchfork
    Jan 25, 2016
    75
    With Jet Plane and Oxbow, Shearwater achieve not only their grandest statement to date, but their most grounded as well.
  18. Exclaim
    Jan 20, 2016
    70
    The sense of velocity and flight, paired with Meiburg's dramatic vocals, delivered with Bowie-like flair here, making Jet Plane and Oxbow a natural progression for Shearwater, and a nice departure from their typical offerings.
  19. Rolling Stone
    Jan 20, 2016
    70
    It's refreshing to hear them switch things up on this, their seventh full-length release, by writing more immediate pop songs without sacrificing their rich, thoughtfully placed instrumentation.
  20. Consequence
    Jan 21, 2016
    67
    The album is at once a blithe daydream and a haunting nightmare.
  21. Record Collector
    Jan 22, 2016
    60
    The robotic, new wave sheen of Quiet Americans fares slightly better, but on the whole, this record falls somewhat short of Shearwater’s usually excellent capabilities.
  22. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 22, 2016
    60
    It’s just a little too saggy round the middle.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best Album of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. BlackSheepBoy
    Jan 30, 2016
    10
    I've thought every Shearwater album til now was pretty good, with some moments of greatness here and there. But this latest album is nothingI've thought every Shearwater album til now was pretty good, with some moments of greatness here and there. But this latest album is nothing but moments of greatness, definitely their best one yet. This is a band that learns, matures, and gets better and better. Best music release so far this year.… Full Review »
  2. MikeHixx
    Jan 27, 2016
    9
    They've been throwing out hints of a heavier, more complex sound for a couple records now, with tracks like Immaculate on Animal Life, and theThey've been throwing out hints of a heavier, more complex sound for a couple records now, with tracks like Immaculate on Animal Life, and the recent covers record. That sound and direction is fully realized here. The sleepy, droney numbers from the early Palo Santo + Rook era are essentially gone, like Meiberg decided to go to the gym and get ripped, musically speaking. Great record.… Full Review »
  3. MChimera
    Jan 22, 2016
    10
    I’ve loved the music of Shearwater since I first heard Rook back in 2008. So in fairness, I’m not exactly a dispassionate critic. On theI’ve loved the music of Shearwater since I first heard Rook back in 2008. So in fairness, I’m not exactly a dispassionate critic. On the other hand, past glories aren’t necessarily a boon to an artist who has shifted directions this radically in the intervening years, somehow evolving from lushly orchestrated indy-folk to this latest offering of retro-electro rock. But it works, it really works; Jonathan Meiburg has managed the tricky business of creating songs which are accessible without selling his soul.

    I pre-ordered, so I’ve been streaming Jet Plane and Oxbow since late December, which means the album has had some time to settle in with me. The cliché “rewards repeated listening” definitely applies here. The album succeeds by being straightforward but embellished with its detailed and layered arrangements. It’s supposed to be a protest record, but it’s not a “grab a sign, take to the streets and vote the way I tell you” protest record. It’s a “look deeply into the darkness of your own soul” protest record. You don’t have one of those already? Well, here you go.

    The melodic loveliness of the older material is still here on tracks like “Backchannels,” now paired with the rock and roll urgency of “Long Time Away,” “Radio Silence,” and the funky “Filaments.” You can sense the astral presence of Byrne and Eno in “Filaments,” but I love that stuff, so sue me. If anything, there’s a little too much Springsteen in “Radio Silence,” but it completely redeems itself at the sudden kick at “in disarray.” Like novels, I prefer songs where I can’t guess the ending.

    The music is graced with lyrics that are nuanced and thoughtful. “The night is here/But still is spinning out stars in its wake” (gives me chills); “a dirty old town that some killing made holy” (At last! Somebody had the guts to say it!) The most obviously political song is “Quiet Americans,” but you should watch the video: deceptively simple, it grows deeper the more you think about it – like all of the songs on this album, really.

    I was on the fence about whether to rate this a 9 (because nothing in this world is perfect, and my sneaking suspicion that Meiburg can still go yet better) or a 10 (shamelessly fangirling.) But “Prime” should win an award for “Best use of dulcimer in a rock song ever,” and anyone who can pull off using the word “nacreous” in a lyric without sounding pretentious, labored or pedantic surely deserves the extra point.    … Full Review »
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