The Shins - ‘Wincing The Night Away’ (Transgressive/ Sub Pop) Released 29/01/07

For anyone who was left spellbound by either of The Shins’ first two opuses, ‘Oh! Inverted World’ and ‘Chutes Too Narrow’, the prospect of a new album by Albuquerque’s finest has been an electrifying prospect. Superstar Hollywood endorsements aside, over the past six years the band have consistently crafted emotionally stimulating, often weird, always captivating alt.indie-pop tunes of the highest calibre. For those who thought the band couldn’t excel even themselves, the sure-fire future masterpiece that is ‘Wincing The Night Away’ should blow such idle preconceptions. Already this is a strong contender for the record of the year.

 

Whereas other acts often struggle with their third album, instead The Shins have transmogrified, looked outwards and turned into something truly stunning. Opener ‘Sleeping Lessons’ sets the creative template, James Mercer’s vocals distorted as if wrapped in a cloud of bubbles, gently teasing the listener with subtle melodies, voluminous clashes and shifts in tone. This before, the gorgeous ‘Australia’ assaults us with impossibly contagious hooks, Mercer’s malleable voice reaching impossibly affecting ranges amidst a perfect pop tune - traits later shared on the likes of the penultimate ‘Girl Sailor’ and the brilliant ‘Turn On Me.’

 

Of course, an American band with a keen eye for perfect pop hooks and summery melodies are always going to draw comparisons to The Beach Boys and their ilk. Whereas some parallels cannot be denied (especially on recent single ‘Phantom Limb’, The Shins prove they are worth much more than such one-dimensional comparisons. ‘Sealegs’ throws traditional song-writing rules out of the window, fusing almost hip-hop-esque beats, with Mercer’s otherworldly melodies and ever shifting song structures. The album’s central point and apex, the track is arguably The Shins’ finest hour.

 

Importantly, such a high point does not overshadow the rest of the work. Other track sparkles in its own individual right. ‘Red Rabbit’ is all psychedelic strings and delicate piano keys, ‘Black Wave’ is genuinely haunting with its mystical humming introduction and Mercer’s wide-eyed, tweaked delivery adding extra atmosphere. Contrasting to this, ‘Split Needles’ is a much more direct onslaught imbued with a fraught tension - all this before the final moment ‘A Comet Appears’ takes us to yet more outer  realms.

 

Where The Shins go from here is anyone’s guess, but don’t bet against them astounding us once again.