“You gotta hear this one song – it’ll change your life.”
Although many people first heard The Shins because of the excellent 2004 film Garden State, many others have know about them longer than that. After two great albums (Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow) for Sub Pop Records it seems that the Shins are poised to be crowned kings of the indie pop universe.
Their third full-length Wincing The Night Away was recently released to critical and commercial acclaim. While a little different and (to me) darker and more serious than previous albums, it isn’t too much of a departure for the band. More of a refinement. Front man and principal songwriter James Mercer is (once again) in top form as he crafts some of the most perfectly charming pop songs you’ll hear all year.
The album begins quietly with “Sleeping Lessons” and ends with a whisper and the fade-out of chirping birds during (what is probably my favorite song on the record) “A Comet Appears.” In between (however) there are moments of pure brilliance. There is the little banjo lick in “Australia,” the woah’s near the end of “Phantom Limb,” and the funky little jam at the end of “Sea Legs” to name a few of those moments.
Wincing The Night Away is definitely a lusher and more orchestrated than any of The Shins’ previous releases. There are more strings and layers upon layers of melodies cascading into each other. It also seems like Mercer and the band are vividly aware of their success and their shiny new crowns as the kings of indie pop. Thankfully for all of us fans, The Shins are able to live up to the hype and deliver another great album.
MP3 | The Shins – Phantom Limb Wincing The Night Away
MP3 | The Shins – Split Needles Wincing The Night Away
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