The Shins (recently and now)

With April halfway over, it’s been a very interesting first quarter of the year. There’s a lot of hope in the beginning of it and now it feels like everything is just coasting by. Sometimes it all feels like a drifting away, sometimes not. The Shins recently released their stellar new album, Port of Morrow. A collection of ten dissimilar songs that amass sounds that sound heavily influenced by everyone from U2 to The Smiths. It’s a really amazing album and one that I’ve been heavily digging lately. Before this album James Mercer had taken some time off to record music with Danger Mouse as Broken Bells, here’s my favorite song off that album they released, “The Mall and the Misery.” It’s a nervy, guitar-shaking groove that builds Danger Mouse’s beats around Mercer’s fragile voice; the muscular guitar resonates throughout and the strings are a fantastic touch.


Anyways, for this new album Mercer recorded it solely with the help of another producer/musician. A newly formed band that kept the same name, The Shins were always Mercer’s baby. On “It’s Only Life,” he takes a lulling guitar vibe and pairs it with heartfelt lyrics that are both reflective and advisory. The music has a soft sway to it and throughout Port of Morrow, the gentle cycle of flowing music is irresistibly warm. I love the way his voice is the focal point for all of the songs' various shifts and as they drive a myriad of styles through the album, Mercer’s voice soars over it all.


It’s still early on in 2012 but already this is an album that will surely get a lot of merited talk. It’s a drastic change from where The Shins were on their previous album, that’s for sure. Here is the first song off that album, “Sleeping Lessons,” to serve as a stark contrast from each of the songs mentioned before. Here you have Mercer’s voice acting more as a guiding light and although he still sounds just as spectacular then and now, the atmospheres and everything is just a swirl of blissful sound. He sings, “You’re not obliged to swallow anything you despise,” as everything continues to grow around him. Just another bad ass band based in Portland, OR. Here’s to more Port of Morrow forever. – Bryan