The Shins - Wincing theNight Away

Thu 18th Jan, 2007 in Music Reviews

It seems that for The Shins, like so many before them, wider exposure has been met with raised expectations, and a fair share of animosity. Since that “life-changing” utterance from Natalie Portman in Garden State some years ago, the James Mercer-led troupe has been riding the OC-assisted bell-curve to widespread recognition. Importantly the success has been built upon the dichotomous foundation of brilliantly catchy/literate pop songs, yet some still begrudge them the acclaim.

That it could not last, that the next album would find them out for what they truly are: these statements seem strange when applied to a band so apparently, well, likeable. A cursory glance at early online reactions to the group’s third album Wincing the Night Away (the album has been leaked for what feels like a shelf-life) reveals mixed sentiments. After two much-loved, some-call-them-classics in the form of Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow, could The Shins live up to their own lofty standards? That people were having the same debate four years ago prior to the release of Chutes…gives some indication as to just how much regard The Shins are held in within the imaginary boundaries of “Indie-world”.

And so we come to Wincing the Night Away. On initial listens, one noticeable development is the production work which is clearer, relying on space and atmosphere, more so than immediate impact. Lead single ‘Phantom Limb’ introduced listeners to these subtle dynamics and, indeed, comparisons to the sleeper-hit that was ‘New Slang’ from Oh, Inverted World are not totally unjustified. However, that the album is a return to or even retread of the weary, atmospheric feel of that album are a fair way off the mark. But then neither is Wincing…a brave step into the unknown with rumours of a strong electronic presence just that, rumours.

The 11 new songs we are given provide more of a consolidation of what The Shins do best rather than any great step forward or back. This is the sound of a band standing their ground rather than stagnating. Opener ‘Sleeping Lessons’ is perhaps the standout example of this middle-ground. Beginning innocuously with just Mercer’s familiar vocals and accompanying atmospherics, the song could so easily be written off as an unadventurous misstep but halfway through it explodes into life, the band kick in, and Mercer throws in some of the album’s most accomplished (and apt for this argument) lyrics:

“And if the old guard still offend,
They’ve got nothing left on which you depend,
So enlist every ounce,
Of your bright blood,
And off with their heads.”

The song presents a rallying front to the album: there is still some fight left in these guys. Elsewhere ‘Australia’ (although the connection to our fine homeland seems coincidental) and ‘Turn On Me’ are vintage Shins guitar jangles. As in the past, much of Mercer’s lyrics are cryptic; intelligent yet just how intelligible is left up to the listener.

Compared to the band’s last release especially, Wincing…is slower-paced, and has “grower” written all over it. The more obvious moments are aspects of songs rather than the songs themselves. For example the drum beat of ‘Sea Legs’ seems to draw, strangely enough, from the Madchester scene of the early-90s – somewhere Shaun Ryder may be nodding, although perhaps not consciously. The stark and claustrophobic feel of ‘Spilt Needles’ makes the song remarkable, even though it is not an immediate favourite.

One song that certainly stands out as an astonishing moment is final track ‘A Comet Appears’. Not unlike previous closers ‘The Past and Pending’ and ‘Those to Come’, it is a delicate, and overwhelmingly sad track. Mercer emotes that “still to come / the worst part and you know it / there is a numbness / in your heart and it’s growing” and you know that in times to come, young devoted fans will adorn their folders with these lines, drop them into the “About Me” section of their MySpace etcetera. But there is another underlying message: you haven’t heard the worst of The Shins, and whether you ever will is debatable. You’ll get your next chance in another few years.