Listen: Shearwater - 'Castaways'

As we very well told you earlier last month, Shearwater have a record coming out early next year, called The Golden Archipelago, which will be released through Matador on February 15.

There was originally a slightly cryptic and mystical trailer placed on the Matador website, which showed images of native Australians as well as other imagery, supposedly of Australia as well. Now the label have made available a free MP3 from the album, as well as a few more details of what is contained within.

According to the press release, which tend to be relatively reliable in general, frontman Jonathan Meiburg has turned "his attention to life on islands - a world of lushness and austerity, silence and sudden cataclysms. From rising sea levels to displaced populations, Meiburg travels from the Falklands to Madagascar, from the Bikini Atoll to the Tierra Del Fuego." There's also the chance of complex song stuctures. Hoo-rah!

The CD comes with a 50-page bound book which acts as a set of extracts from a dossier of various things: records, photos, regulations and images collected by Meiburg. The LP version contains two bonus tracks and an MP3 download coupon (which also includes a PDF of the bits and bobs), though the pre-order version will also receive a copy of the CD-sized book, for your information.

Listen to the free track 'Castaways' below, or click here to download the file, or even click here to download a higher bitrate MP3, with added extras, like artwork.

There's also a tour, you won't be surprised to know. Go to these places, I recommend it!

February:

21 - Brighton, The Freebutt
22 - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
23 - Glasgow, Captain's Rest
24 - London, Scala