The Shins, Ramsey Kearney & Tim Oehmsen, and Denison Witmer - Split 7'' (Devil in the Woods, 2004)

The Shins, Ramsey Kearney & Tim Oehmsen, and Denison Witmer
Split 7''
Devil in the Woods
2004

Rating: 7 life goals out of 10

I honestly didn't know I had this.  I used to write show reviews for a friend that worked for Devil in the Woods, so I can only assume she gave it to me and I filed it away and forgot about it. The Shins track, "The Gloating Sun," is one of their oldest songs and was also featured on their "When I Goose Step" seven inch; from my favorite era of the Shins to be sure.  The other track on side A is "You're Not the Only One" by Tim Oehmsen with Ramsey Kearney - sort of an old school sounding country track, I want to say it is part of that whole song-poem thing that got talked about a lot a decade or so back.  The B-side is just one track, Denison Witmer performing "Worry All the Time" - mellow, morose folk, but more enjoyable than that description sounds.   A nice find in the collection, it was like getting a new record. 

The Shins - Port of Morrow (Columbia, 2012)

The Shins

Port of Morrow

Columbia

2012

Rating: 6 water beds out of 10

This new record by The Shins mostly just makes me miss the old Shins.  That first record, "Oh, Inverted World," felt so intimate - like it was written just for you.  It was the "handmade blanket knitted by grandma" of music.  I actually just listened to that first record a few weeks ago, and it still feels as warm and comfortable as ever.  

Additionally - and I know this isn't exactly a new phenomenon in music - but does anyone even really consider this to be the same band?  The Shins now equal James Mercer and hired hands as near as I can tell.  Sure, Mercer's voice is one the most important parts of the Shins' signature sound, but it's not everything - and you can tell with this record.

All that said, this is still a listenable pop album.  It feels a little over-produced and shiny like it's stretching it's arms attempting to embrace mainstream radio, but I think the bones are good.  You could certainly do worse.  Mostly, though, it just makes me want to go listen to the Shins early material.

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away (Sub Pop, 2007)

The Shins
Wincing The Night Away
Sub Pop
2007

Rating:  7 slobbering goats out of 10

The new Shins album is mostly more of the same, but would you really want anything different?  After they got picked up by the mainstream due to their inclusion in the film “Garden State”, it seems only natural that longtime fans would be a bit concerned that the band might try to cater their style to fit better into the mainstream.  Luckily, they’ve decided just to do what they do best – write simple, catchy pop songs with a hint of 1960’s nostalgia, all wrapped up in a pretty package that is James Mercer’s signature voice.   The record starts off very strong with “Sleeping Lessons” and “Australia,” my two favorite tracks on the album and some of the most upbeat material they’ve released in a while.  Another fine song is “Red Rabbits,” which sounds as if it was recorded during the “Oh, Inverted World” sessions, got lost, and was recently rediscovered.  One track stands out like a sore thumb on the album though – “Sea Legs” - comes off like the band got drunk one night and tried to write a Beta Band song.  It isn’t really good or bad, just a strange inclusion into this otherwise smooth sailing of pop goodness.

The Shins - Oh, Inverted World (Sub Pop, 2001)

The Shins
Oh, Inverted World
Sub Pop
2001

Rating: 8.5 jewelry network hosts out of 10

 
The Shins have put out one of the best records I have heard all year.  Most certainly the best pop record to come out in some time.  That might seem like a bold statement, but I am yet to be told otherwise by anyone I’ve played this for since I got it, and I’ve played it for a lot of people.  It sounds like the Beach Boys crossed with the psychedelic pop of the Elephant Six, only better.  OK, maybe not better than the Beach Boys, but you get what I’m saying.  The production value is immaculate – giving it the feel that it might have been recorded 30 or 40 years ago, as opposed to last year.  According to their website, The Shins have been releasing music for a while now – as Somersault, Flake, and Flake Music – but this is the debut for them as The Shins.  These songs yearn for a summer road trip – the oppressive heat, windows down, driving somewhere and maybe nowhere, turning the volume up so you can hear it over the wind that’s making a mess of your hair.  Highlights of the album include "One by One All Day," "Know Your Onion," "Pressed in a Book," and...well, all of them.  My very favorite, though, is "New Slang" – a beautiful, haunting song that gets stuck in your head for days on end.  The only drawback of the album is that it’s not long enough, clocking in at less than 40 minutes.