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The Golden Archipelago

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The Golden Archipelago
Studio album by
Shearwater
ReleasedFebruary 23, 2010 (2010-02-23)
Recorded2009, Sonic Ranch, El Paso, Texas; Public Hi-Fi, Austin, Texas; Elmwood, Dallas, Texas; Halversonics Recording, Austin, Texas
GenreIndie rock, progressive rock
Length38:11
LanguageEnglish
LabelMatador Records
ProducerJohn Congleton and Shearwater
Shearwater chronology
Rook
(2008) 		The Golden Archipelago
(2010) 		Animal Joy
(2012)

The Golden Archipelago is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Shearwater. It was released on February 23, 2010, on the Matador Records label. The track "Black Eyes" is the first single from the album.

Shearwater released the album on both CD and vinyl. The first pressing of the CD includes a 50-page booklet with lyrics, as well as collected photographs from the "Golden Dossier," featuring images, maps and texts of island exploration themes.

Music

The album was produced by John Congleton and Shearwater.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Austin Chronicle[2]
BBC Music(positive)[3]
Chicago Tribune[4]
Clash(7/10)[5]
Drowned in Sound(8/10)[6]
The Fly[7]
The Generalista(favorable)[8]
Gigwise[9]
The Irish Times[10]
The List[11]
Mojo[12]
MusicOMH[13]
NME(8/10)[14]
Paste(82/100)[15]
Pitchfork Media(7.9/10)[16]
Prefix Magazine(6.5/10)[17]
Q Magazine[18]
The Skinny[19]
Slant Magazine[20]
Spin[21]
Sputnik Music[22]
Tiny Mix Tapes[23]
Uncut[24]
Virgin Music(7/10)[25]

The album has so far received moderately positive reviews, garnering an aggregate score of 74 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 23 reviews.[26] Some critics noted its softer sound, compared to the grandeur of previous albums like Rook and Palo Santo. Allmusic compared it to 1970s Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, saying it lacked many of Rook's "more muscular moments."[27]

Music critics also lauded Shearwater's commitment to the album format in the age of MP3s, making a cohesive, conceptual work of progressive rock, rather than simply a collection of singles.[28][29]

Track listing

  1. "Meridian" – 3:37
  2. "Black Eyes" – 3:40
  3. "Landscape at Speed" – 4:33
  4. "Hidden Lakes" – 3:47
  5. "Corridors" – 2:46
  6. "God Made Me" – 4:23
  7. "Runners of the Sun" – 2:53
  8. "Castaways" – 3:16
  9. "An Insular Life" – 3:09
  10. "Uniforms" – 3:49
  11. "Missing Islands" – 2:18

Singles

  • "Black Eyes" (January 19, 2010)

References

  1. ^ "Allmusic review".
  2. ^ "The Austin Chronicle review".
  3. ^ "BBC Music review".
  4. ^ "Chicago Tribune review". February 21, 2010.
  5. ^ "Clash review".
  6. ^ "Drowned in Sound review".
  7. ^ "The Fly review".
  8. ^ "The Generalista review".
  9. ^ "Gigwise review".
  10. ^ "The Irish Times review". February 2, 2010.
  11. ^ "The List review".
  12. ^ "Mojo review".
  13. ^ "Music OMH review".
  14. ^ "NME review".
  15. ^ "Paste review".
  16. ^ "Pitchfork Media review".
  17. ^ "Prefix review".
  18. ^ "Q Magazine review".
  19. ^ "The Skinny review".
  20. ^ "Slant Magazine review".
  21. ^ "Spin review".
  22. ^ "Sputnick Music review".
  23. ^ "Tiny Mix Tapes review".
  24. ^ "Uncut review".
  25. ^ "Virgin Music review".
  26. ^ Metacritic: The Golden Archipelago by Shearwater
  27. ^ AllMusic: Shearwater - "The Golden Archipelago"
  28. ^ Turn It Up by Greg Kot
  29. ^ Pitchfork Review
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