The Shins: "Wincing the Night Away"

A quick endorsement courtesy of Zach Braff via Natalie Portman was all it took. Or so it seems. In less than a year, The Shins went from a humble indie band to being one of the world's top musical attractions. Now, a few years and world tours later, The Shins are back with a brand new album and a more refined sound. That's all fine and dandy, I suppose, but the real urgent questions remains. How does "Wincing the Night Away" sound? How does it stack up when you compare it to their previous albums? Here's what I think.

The album begins with a hauntingly catchy synth arpeggio, followed shortly by James Mercer's equally as haunting voice. The song is "Sleeping Lessons," and though it begins softly, it soon crescendos into a powerful rock song. This drastic change is mirrored in Mercer's voice as he now triumphantly sings "The old gods still offend. We've got nothing left on which we depend!" It's a great song, and more than anything, it serves as an introduction to the newly refined sound that The Shins are trying to showcase on this album. It works, and is soon followed by another fantastic song, "Australia," which sounds like The Shins collaborated with Rooney, or another great beach rock band. In no time you'll be snapping your fingers or tapping your toes with complete disregard of who's watching. It stands among the greatest Shins songs of all time, which is saying quite a lot.

"Pam Berry" serves as a short lead-in to "Phantom Limb," the first single off the album, and rightly so. Aside from it being a great song, it perfectly blends the older, toned-down Shins sound with their newly-tapped California rock sound. If you're planning on buying this album, you've probably heard it already. It's all over the internet, including the SubPop website. It is arguably the strongest song on the album, and features beautiful backup vocals from Anita, of the band Viva Vocé, The Shins' new tour buddies. "Sea Legs" follows with a thumping near-rap beat and fresh performances from both bass and electric guitar. The amount of detail in the song is awe-inspiring, as it is with many songs on the album. Here, the time that was spent recording "Wincing the Night Away" shows, and it has paid off greatly. The song could very well be The Shins' first true breakout song, as it's seemingly accessible to almost everybody. Whether or not the die hard, seasoned fan will appreciate it is unclear. But I'm not complaining.

"Red Rabbits" holds the honor of being my favorite song on the album. As one of the calmest songs on the album, it serves as a nice break from the up-tempo indie rock songs we've been treated to up until this point. Mercer's lyrical talents are triumphantly displayed here. He sings, "Born on the desert floor, you've the deepest thirst and you came to my sweet shore to indulge it with the wan and and dreaming eyes of an orphan. But there is not enough." It really is a beautiful song, despite it's strangeness and lyrics about "pissing on sprites."

From there, the album gets as mainstream rock as it ever does. Beginning with the undeniably catchy "Turn On Me," the latter half of the album is highlighted with the phenomenal guitars and melodies of "Split Needles." Before you have time to fully grasp the awesome, the album winds down with what I shall call the most beautiful song by The Shins, ever, "A Comet Appears." Mercer weaves the stunning line, "We can blow on our thumbs and posture, but the lonely is such delicate things. The wind from a wasp could blow them into the sea with stones on their feet, lost to the light and the loving we need." It almost sounds like a lullabye, though it's hard to fall asleep while it's playing.

By the time the last second ticks off the album, most people will be generally pleased with their experience. The Shins' popularity has ballooned in the few years between "Chutes Too Narrow" and now, and they have taken their time to make an album that will further their popularity while pleasing their long-time fans as well. Though not as solid as "Chutes Too Narrow," calling "Wincing the Night Away" anything but great would be a terrible mistake. With the exception of "Pam Berry" and "Black Wave," every song on this album is great in it's own right, and they will undoubtedly warrant multiple repeat-listening sessions. This album has been a long time coming. Now that it's finally here, we can exhale. The Shins have not let us down.

Recommended for fans of The Shins, new and old, and for anyone who wants to hear what good music actually sounds like.

Key Tracks:
1. "Sleeping Lessons"
2. "Australia"
3. "Sea Legs"
4. "Red Rabbits"
5. "A Comet Appears"

7 out of 10 Stars