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Shearwater — Filaments
Album: Jet Plane and Oxbow
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3428









Released: 2016
Length: 6:02
Plays (last 30 days): 4
The night is like a black stone
But it ripples in the wind
And you are shaking like a new slave
In an ultraviolet sun

Shiver at the night sky
From the ribbon of the road:
Hollow little diamonds
All embedded in the null

Head like a blank screen
A body alive
You are living in the last rays
Kicking up the nights

Oh, little stars...

In the center of the sun, in the stain spilling out into the light
In the calling of the gulls, in the river running out into the night
Some people run from themselves
Some chain the dogs to the gate
Some are living a lie

Daddy's on the next plane
And he's looking to survive
He is soaking from a long run
He is fingering a knife

Summoning a white lie
From the fingers to the mind
You were watching the horizon
But it was in you all the time

Like a worm in the bloodline
Like an urge wants release
But you roll away the sun,
Throw it back into the east

Falling lights on the miracles of a golden age
Blackened sounds of the millions in the streets today
Where some people turn on themselves
Some hang around for an age
Some get paralyzed

In the center of the sun, in the hole in the belly of the light
In the shudder in the hull, in the river running out into the night
There is someone in the room, there is someone in the darkness

I'm taking everything back:
When I led you down to the lake
It was the thrill of my life
Comments (202)add comment
 KPC1 wrote:

Its like Talking Heads meets Beck


Except Shearwater is better than both.  Other opinions available upon request.
Take some singing from a Beck song, up the tempo & add break beats and Moody Blues chorus.    I like it.
 memoryboxer wrote:

This may be one of the best "sounds like" summations of a band I've ever heard. While it doesn't apply to all Shearwater tracks it NAILS this one. Thank you; treasured forever. 



Definitely get that, expecially in the chorous parts.  If it was downtempo, the part where the singer's voice is isolated kinda reminds me of some Beck songs.  
 Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs

Reminds me of Crosseyed and Painless by Talking Heads. The bass line is almost identical.
I like the drums. Subtle variations and fills make it sound more like a live performance than a drum machine to me. Not any more repetitive than any other rock and roll tune, is it? Is it the fast tempo that strikes people as repetitive? Perhaps the heavy compression causes a bit more ear fatigue.
 mikedgreene wrote:

Dyslexic's of the world UNTIE!!!!



.. rule KO!
 arserocket wrote:
I've upturned one of our hawgs an am drummin on it's gut - best from the farm. Like this...


Oink!
 Jayesea wrote:

It appears it was a complete drum performance by Cully Symington.   Reverb had an interview with with Jonathan Meiburg where he touched on it some. https://reverb.com/news/reverb...

Some excerpts:

The drumming is fantastic, especially on “Filament.”

That one was a complete afterthought. We'd been working on “Prime” for hours and, because that's such a complicated percussion arrangement, we just wanted to loosen up. I just started playing that bass line; Cully [Symington] was playing the drums. We played it for seven or eight minutes and stopped. I came back to it later and thought there really is something to this. I kept getting excited every time I heard it, so we started making a song out of it.

Here is another excerpt from Jonathan providing some detail on the approach of using drums with the album (bold emphasis mine):

We wanted to make a record that seems like it was made in about 1980; we were aiming more for that kind of aesthetic. It was an era when digital devices were new, but it was pre-MIDI, so sequences hadn't really taken hold. I wanted to make sure that even if a song sounded somewhat mechanical, that it also sounded alive. Even on songs where the drum part is the same over and over, the drummer played a complete performance. When you're making something that's very repetitive, the tiny variations start to become really important. They keep you from getting bored.

One last one:

“Filament” is so groove-based. It sounds like it was conceived out of a jam. Do you work with drum machines or loopers when you're writing?

No. I don't want to make too many decisions for the drummer. At the outset I'll give him a very basic outline of what kind of rhythm or beat that I have in mind. Cully, who we worked with on the last couple of records, is such an ace. He'll come up with something that's better than what I had in mind anyway. Danny is also a drummer. He also drummed for us on the last couple of tours. I'm in really good hands with those two. I can really just give them suggestions and then step back.



Thank You for the info!
I am shocked that this isn't the Moody Blues. I do like it though.
 Laptopdog wrote:

I hope they used a drum machine for this track. Otherwise, I feel sorry for the drummer having to play that same pattern throughout the entire 6+ minutes without a break. Ugh.


It appears it was a complete drum performance by Cully Symington.   Reverb had an interview with with Jonathan Meiburg where he touched on it some. https://reverb.com/news/reverb...

Some excerpts:

The drumming is fantastic, especially on “Filament.”

That one was a complete afterthought. We'd been working on “Prime” for hours and, because that's such a complicated percussion arrangement, we just wanted to loosen up. I just started playing that bass line; Cully [Symington] was playing the drums. We played it for seven or eight minutes and stopped. I came back to it later and thought there really is something to this. I kept getting excited every time I heard it, so we started making a song out of it.

Here is another excerpt from Jonathan providing some detail on the approach of using drums with the album (bold emphasis mine):

We wanted to make a record that seems like it was made in about 1980; we were aiming more for that kind of aesthetic. It was an era when digital devices were new, but it was pre-MIDI, so sequences hadn't really taken hold. I wanted to make sure that even if a song sounded somewhat mechanical, that it also sounded alive. Even on songs where the drum part is the same over and over, the drummer played a complete performance. When you're making something that's very repetitive, the tiny variations start to become really important. They keep you from getting bored.

One last one:

“Filament” is so groove-based. It sounds like it was conceived out of a jam. Do you work with drum machines or loopers when you're writing?

No. I don't want to make too many decisions for the drummer. At the outset I'll give him a very basic outline of what kind of rhythm or beat that I have in mind. Cully, who we worked with on the last couple of records, is such an ace. He'll come up with something that's better than what I had in mind anyway. Danny is also a drummer. He also drummed for us on the last couple of tours. I'm in really good hands with those two. I can really just give them suggestions and then step back.
Its like Talking Heads meets Beck
with the bass line and beat, I thought this was Talking Heads for a sec
I hope they used a drum machine for this track. Otherwise, I feel sorry for the drummer having to play that same pattern throughout the entire 6+ minutes without a break. Ugh.
Beginning to really like these fine musicians
Better late than never
I've upturned one of our hawgs an am drummin on it's gut - best from the farm. Like this...
 timmus wrote:

I wonder how we've gotten to the point where the music charts are filled with Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, and Ariana Grande, and not bands like this.  Has the music industry co-opted the idea of what's actually good?



it's kind of like the early 60's before the Beatles and Motown and after Elvis got drafted.
Dull, boring "safe" stuff.
There will be a rebellion again

this album continues to be on heavy rotation for me.  It's brilliant, love hearing it pop up on RP.  
I'm hearing a bit of Arnold Schwartzenegger in the lead singer's enunciations.
Most enjoyable - improving on each listen, for me.
 eileenomurphy wrote:



Thank  You Radio Paradise, for playing music like his (in FLAC too)!!  No need for FM  radio,, unless  while driving!  


If you can connect your phone to your car audio system you can listen to RP in your car too... 
 dmiley wrote:


Irresistible, infectious and inspirational


Yep, put on the earbuds/headphones, crank it up and sit back!
This has been an 8 for me since first listen and I am bumping it up to a 9
 Ok_Sobriquet wrote:

The groove on this song is irresistible



Irresistible, infectious and inspirational
 t0m5k1 wrote:
Another of my RP discoveries ...Love it 


agree
The groove on this song is irresistible
 Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs


perfect Jon Lord would be pleased
 khardog145 wrote:

I like this song despite the obvious Talking Heads rip-off, or should I say inspiration.  Makes for a great segue from TH. 



Lost my shape, trying to act casual..
 timmus wrote:

I wonder how we've gotten to the point where the music charts are filled with Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, and Ariana Grande, and not bands like this.  Has the music industry co-opted the idea of what's actually good?



Yes: 

https://www.quantumrun.com/art...
I wonder how we've gotten to the point where the music charts are filled with Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, and Ariana Grande, and not bands like this.  Has the music industry co-opted the idea of what's actually good?
The more I hear this, the more it burrows into the furrows of the gray matter where it matters. This is a talented, JAMMING group!
Excellent!!! Very Moody Blues(ish)! I like it!
hmmm...never heard this moody blues song
maybe one of his solo albums
oh...
 TheKing2 wrote:


nonono, Talking Heads (SMS)


Hints on Momentary Lapse of Reason!!
Great! I never heard of them before. Thanx RP!
love the hint of John Barry at the start
 mikedgreene wrote:

Dyslexic's of the world UNTIE!!!!


What do you mean EITNU? What does eitnu mean? 
I thought this was Beck!
 Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs


nonono, Talking Heads (SMS)
 Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs



But yeah, it also reminds me of TVOR.
 MrStatenIsle wrote:

I heard the Audubon Society is sponsoring a summer concert featuring Shearwater, Ptarmigan, Quetzal, Doves and headliner, The Eagles.



That sounds hard to Swallow. 
Adding this to my Run mix.  Great tempo.
 cloudymcloudface wrote:

thought this was Talking Heads at first, good stuff 👏👌


Weird, i thought it was Moody Blues at first. LOL
thought this was Talking Heads at first, good stuff 👏👌
I urge everyone to check out their back catalogue - some wonderful music there (my favourites being Animal Joy and The Golden Archipelago).  Here's a link to a really lovely (and quite short) song.
For some reason, I feel I shouldn't like this, but I do....
 MrStatenIsle wrote:
I heard the Audubon Society is sponsoring a summer concert featuring Shearwater, Ptarmigan, Quetzal, Doves and headliner, The Eagles.
 

What a line up! Man I miss shows and parties... 
Stay safe yall
Lovwe Buddy Holly stuff but The Stones did a great version odf this
 costoonces wrote:


Counting Crows, Jayhawks, Robyn Hitchcock
 



You forgot Okkervil River, where they come from.


 jelgator wrote:

The Dodos, Housemartins, Black Crowes...ooh this is fun!
 

Counting Crows, Jayhawks, Robyn Hitchcock
Yes...but I hear Howard Jones   westslope wrote:

Good to know.  Popular music is like all newer ideas, path dependent.  The best musicians listen widely where most listeners never venture.

Another RP discovery.  The good hits just keep on coming.  
 

 planet_lizard wrote:

No Guillemots? Byrds? Flock of Seagulls? Even Andrew Bird? Sheryl Crow?
 
The Dodos, Housemartins, Black Crowes...ooh this is fun!
 MrStatenIsle wrote:
I heard the Audubon Society is sponsoring a summer concert featuring Shearwater, Ptarmigan, Quetzal, Doves and headliner, The Eagles.
 
No Guillemots? Byrds? Flock of Seagulls? Even Andrew Bird? Sheryl Crow?
Went out and bought this album after hearing them on RP. Great from start to finish.
 jelgator wrote:


Dancing bananas of the world, unite!!!!   :)
 
Dyslexic's of the world UNTIE!!!!
Like this
 Marcounel wrote:
Flock of Seagulls?


Budgie, Byrds, Housemartins, Swans, Wrens, The Partridge Family and Them Crooked Vultures - eclectic or what?

... and Harry Manx should have preceded Shearwater. 
 Marcounel wrote:
Flock of Seagulls?

 

 MrStatenIsle wrote:
I heard the Audubon Society is sponsoring a summer concert featuring Shearwater, Ptarmigan, Quetzal, Doves and headliner, The Eagles.
 

I always think this is Beck....until I remember it isn't
 Blasserman wrote:
My rating was 6 initially. By the end it was a 7.
The lack of change in the percussion throughout the song is annoying. 
But the interesting random background sounds helped to make it better for me.
 

The lack of change in the percussion is the foundation...
My rating was 6 initially. By the end it was a 7.
The lack of change in the percussion throughout the song is annoying. 
But the interesting random background sounds helped to make it better for me.
 milleronic wrote:
 stretcher wrote:


Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

        

 

Dancing bananas of the world, unite!!!!   :)
I'm getting a Moody Blues vibe from this. Updated, though. 

 stretcher wrote:


Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

        

Trippy...so evocative of so many great bands with a twist all their own. Love this bouncing around in my head.  MORE PLEASE
 jelgator wrote:
 stretcher wrote:


Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

 

 
I really liked the banana-person emojis. This comment is making me doubt my commitment to banana-person emojis. 

 BillE wrote:,
I thought this was an undiscovered Moody Blues song from a long lost album!  Great!
 

Well yes because this tune has many bands in it ,there is even Wizard if Oz,
Collage of many styles ,sounds of many bands but little depth
Perfect increasing ritm, i like it...
this song reminds me of when my gramma would try and conjure spirits..she would rattle off all kinds of mysterious words and such..good times thank you gramma and shearwater too I guess
This song is high on my list of "Music to Be Quarantined With." Close the doors and windows tight, crank it up and start spinning.
 stretcher wrote:


Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

 
Now now stretcher, you're not qualified to take higher ground here.  And my IQ is in fact higher than the song rating.  Mine's at least 8. 
Oh by the way....
I thought this was an undiscovered Moody Blues song from a long lost album!  Great!
Love a bit of shearwater ...Echoes of Orbital - The Box come to mind in this track, Not too sure why though!
 stretcher wrote:


Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

 

That moment of panic when you notice a Shearwater song playing from a desktop but you had your phone playing from a cache instead, go figure. Whew! Talk about your near misses. Fixed that, and fast. 

 
There's a brilliance to the steadfast and unchanging bass line...with the ever changing chords around it. A staple foundation with the clouds of uncertainty swirling around it. Very cool. I'm liking this very much!

Cool album art to boot!
 BCarn wrote:

I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely useless your comment is.

 

Stop it, both of you. The only thing more useless than both of your comments would be any kind of dancing banana, or similar emoji. Come on, let's try to show an IQ that's higher than our song rating.

Agree, geez throw a friggin cymbal in once in awhile.  OR ANYTHING.  I mean a drum machine can do this.  Maybe it is a machine.  UGH  sfyi2001 wrote:
S O M E B O D Y Y Y Y Y y y y y y y  - shooooot  the  drumerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
 memoryboxer wrote:

This may be one of the best "sounds like" summations of a band I've ever heard. While it doesn't apply to all Shearwater tracks it NAILS this one. Thank you; treasured forever. 

 
Before reading the comments, this tune caught my eye and I too reached for "The Moody Blues" but... different.
S O M E B O D Y Y Y Y Y y y y y y y  - shooooot  the  drumerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Feeling Moody
 dburgher wrote:
I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely awful this song is.
 
I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely useless your comment is.

This song just followed a Talking Heads tune, and when I heard that bass line at the beginning of this track, I thought to myself, Bill must be doing a Two for Tuesday thing.
A 9, definitely!!

RP made me do it... Great album
Like the drive....
Nice segue from Gotan Project "Queremos Paz"
 memoryboxer wrote:

This may be one of the best "sounds like" summations of a band I've ever heard. While it doesn't apply to all Shearwater tracks it NAILS this one. Thank you; treasured forever. 

 
Moody Blues - yes.
Another of my RP discoveries ...Love it 
Add me to the "sounds like Beck" camp. This could easily be a rejected track from The Information.

I do get the Talking Heads, Moody Blues, and even Underworld comparisons, though. Funny how all Shearwater's songs make me think "hey this sounds like _____" but it's never the same artist that fills in the blank.

The only other band that does that for me is The Dandy Warhols.

And this sounds nothing like The Dandy Warhols.
How are these guys so little known?  
Good music. Good Texas Indie Rock. 
I heard the Audubon Society is sponsoring a summer concert featuring Shearwater, Ptarmigan, Quetzal, Doves and headliner, The Eagles.
Never heard of this band but I dig the groove on this song.
RP + Spotify = expanded music list. Such a good combo and worth every penny!
 khardog145 wrote:
I like this song despite the obvious Talking Heads rip-off, or should I say inspiration.  Makes for a great segue from TH. 
 
Agreed..... "Listen to Remain In Light much?"
Each song on the album is different from each other and holds together as an album. The whole things is worth a listen. I like this song but it is not my favorite on the album.
 Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs
 
This may be one of the best "sounds like" summations of a band I've ever heard. While it doesn't apply to all Shearwater tracks it NAILS this one. Thank you; treasured forever. 

That riff reminds me of Morning Mr Magpie. Definitely growing on me, gonna bump it to 8
This always best at 11. 
Dude this is great!

Thank you all!
Sounds pretty much like Underworld to me, at least in this song...
sounds like beck to me
I like this song despite the obvious Talking Heads rip-off, or should I say inspiration.  Makes for a great segue from TH. 
Feels like Devo.
I was thinking it was beck
Emwolb wrote:

i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs
 

Meh. 

Nah, once is enough.
 clickfaster wrote:
Am I alone in thinking this sounds like TV on the Radio?

 
i was thinking more along the lines of The Moody Blues on 21st century drugs
It's growin' better each time I hear it...  7 > 8....
 Proclivities wrote:
Pretty cool groove in this tune.  To be fair, that sort of drumbeat and tempo existed before Talking Heads started recording music.  Look up The Silver Apples and other "experimental" bands from the 1960s as well as the solo stuff by Brian Eno, who produced "Remain In Light".  These guys seem to have a lot of influences, including the ones mentioned in the comments.

 
Good to know.  Popular music is like all newer ideas, path dependent.  The best musicians listen widely where most listeners never venture.

Another RP discovery.  The good hits just keep on coming.  
One of those songs that...sometimes I PSD this bloody song & other times I love this bloody song.
Gave it a 7 so I guess it is love tonight.

Paradise Radio you are the best!!
I do cheat sometimes & listen to Riprock Radiio. (I dunno named after Dash Riprock, Beverly Hillbillies character?) 
This is getting to much play time on the RP rotation. Time to change it up. 
Am I alone in thinking this sounds like TV on the Radio?
 dburgher wrote:
I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely awful this song is.

 
It is that relentless driving beat that they overlay the song's melody and lyrics on. They appear to not be in sync or even the same time signature.

Radiohead do this and so did Portishead back in the day. I am not sure about any similarities to Talking Heads though?

Anyway, you just have to adjust your melodic ear sensors to accept the non-normal :)
 dburgher wrote:
I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely awful this song is.

 


                          What are you wearing?




I had to stop what I was doing, log in just so I could comment about how absolutely awful this song is.
I was busy washing my dishes when this came up... I thought to myself "who on earth could this be?"... "who could be segued with Talking Heads?"... And then I thought... "no one esle could possibly do Talking Heads".

So I left the dishing dancing in the scullery and came to discover that "Shearwater" can apparently do TH.
{#Meditate} reminds me a bit of some moody blues
The water is clear and innocent.