While all the talk around Shearwater’s Palo Santo have gravitated towards Jeff Buckley comparisons, the truth of the matter is that the band’s fourth album marks the point in time where Jonathan Meiburg comes to the fore as a songwriter par excellence.

In truth, Palo Santo has far more in common with Antony and the Johnsons’ I am a bird now. Like that album, there’s a stark nakedness to the sound – it opens with “La Dame Et La Licorne”, where Meiburg’s fragile falsetto is backed piano accompaniment, before additional instrumentation, such as gentle drums, smooth in.

With long-term songwriting partner, Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, taking a back step on Palo Santo, and simply helping with arrangements and performing rather than singing, it ends up working in Shearwater’s favour – there’s a consistency and beauty to this album. “White Waves” has some nasty edges, but as it’s immediately followed by the reverb-drenched title cut, they’re buffed away almost immediately.

A song like “Failed Queen” is so simple, but the way that Shearwater handle it is what makes Palo Santo such an impressive release. The righteous piano-lead stomps of “Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five” and “Johnny Viola” are insistent and immediate, but for the most part this album is about moods, and textures. As such, it’s a real ‘album’ album – nothing in particular sticks out, and it works best as a single cohesive piece.