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by morgan henley freefunk322@aol.com
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When Natalie Portman declared in Garden State that the Shins’ song ‘New Slang’ would change your life, she actually probably changed The Shins’ life more than anyone else’s. Coming from their massively popular album Chutes Too Narrow, their latest release Wincing the Night Away shouldn’t leave anyone disappointed. Wincing the Night Away has been eagerly expected by hungry Shins fans and indie rock fans alike.
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The greatest part about Wincing the Night Away is how it keeps the Shins’ signature sound but gives this album its own feel that strays away from Chutes Too Narrow. If you take a listen to Wincing the Night Away you’ll see exactly what you’re in for on the first track, ‘Sleeping Lessons,’ which is also probably one of the best on the album. The first half of the album has an innovative spirit that will leave you impressed on the Shins’ lyricism and beats. The CD starts with an amazing momentum of great proportions. The album slows to a winding stop of greatness on ‘Red Rabbits’ and grows even less impressive after. It’s not that the rest of the album isn’t good; it’s just nothing out of the Shins’ realm of experience.
If you aren’t familiar with the Shins, or with the Garden State soundtrack, Wincing the Night Away isn’t a bad place to start. If one were to create an “indie rock for dummies” manual, the Shins would probably be number one on the list of “where to get started.” Wincing the Night Away is the group’s third album and takes their sound to a somewhat different level, but stays true to their Shins-y nature. They almost have a sound that’s similar to the Beach Boys, if the Beach Boys were around today. James Mercer, the lead singer, is like a Brian Wilson if Wilson sung in just a little higher pitch and wasn’t singing about ‘Surfin’ USA.’
Wincing the Night Away experiments with some synthesizers and eclectic beats. ‘Pam Berry’ starts out like they asked Jimi Hendrix to play backup for Mercer’s vocals. Their latest single ‘Phantom Limbs’ has the mellow peppiness that is so characteristic of the Shins. It’s got a great pop sound with Mercer’s untypical voice. Sometimes Mercer’s constant, unchanging voice gets to be a little too much. The album’s 41 minute length goes by quite fast and at the end you’ll probably be left wondering why it ended so quickly.
The Shins were glorified in Garden State with their single ‘New Slang’ from their debut album Oh, Inverted World. This instantaneous popularity will definitely help sales for Wincing the Night Away but not without a deserving effort. The Shins have paid their dues, touring with such legends as Modest Mouse and Belle and Sebastian. The Shins have it pretty well off as they’re liked by critics, fellow musicians, and listeners alike. One of the lines in the song ‘Spilt Needles’ is “It’s like I’m pressed on the handle bars/Of a blind man’s bike/ No straws to grab, just the rushing wind/On the rolling mind.” Apparently they aren’t pressed on the handle bars of a blind man’s bike with Wincing the Night Away as they know exactly what they are doing, and doing it well.
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