THERE IS a Chinese proverb which states: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”
Charles Lindbergh, the American aviator who piloted the first solo nonstop Transatlantic flight in 1927, said shortly before his death in 1974: “If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than aeroplanes.”
Both these views are likely to be shared by the Texan songwriter Jonathan Meiburg, who is bringing his band Shearwater to Galway to play the Róisín Dubh on Sunday September 21 at 9pm.
As well as being a first rate songwriter, Meiburg is also a fully qualified and passionate ornithologist, who has been interviewed by Scientific American and Pitchfork.
His passion for ornithology has spilled into his music. A shearwater is a medium-sized, long winged seabird; Winged Life was their 2004 album; while 2006’s Paolo Santo contained the song ‘Sing Little Birdy’.
Shearwater have just released a new album, which continues the bird-theme - Rook - featuring on the cover an extraordinary sculpture of a man with birds perched all over him and emerging out of his pockets and sleeves.
The album was inspired by Meiburg’s trip to The Falklands/Las Malvinas in 2006 to study bird-life there. It led to a masterful album of indie and folk influenced prog-rock which meditates on such contemporary environmental issues as man’s intersection with the natural world; species extinction; and the world after human beings are gone.
Meiburg’s bold, soaring voice, occasionally falsetto, anchors the songs. Throughout can be heard the influence of Talk Talk (including a cover of ‘The Rainbow’ from Talk Talk’s Spirit Of Eden ), Nico, John Cale, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell.
Tickets are available from the Róisín Dubh and Zhivago.
