New Mexico's The Shins are decidedly retro-minded, like many recent pop
bands. They choose the '60s as the decade to revisit, and The Beach Boys are
a fair (and common) comparison point—shimmery pop with gorgeous melodies
floating upon light, summery clouds. For me, however, The Shins more closely
remind of Weezer, with less inclination to rock but comparable vocals and a
similar commitment to 30 minutes as the perfect time amount for a joyous
music experience.
But I must confess: I've never understood the Weezer phenomenon like their
hordes of bespectacled and cardigan-adorned fans do. They're fine; catchy,
even. But they've never seemed worthy of such devotion. Were the kids to
shun Weezer in favor of The Shins? That I would understand.
The Shins nearly sparkle with pop effervescence, without being too precious
or too arty or too anything. Tiny crescendos created from atypical
ingredients—too many "la-las" to be this good, surprising synth beats
hidden amongst all the guitar strumming, tidbits of French horn and cello
lending quiet class—build up until you can't ignore their effect on the
rest of your day. Lyricist and lead vocalist James Marsden also hides gems
among some emo-worthy lyrics: "the silver leaves of an ailing tree/took
flight as we passed so long ago/but a short time I know/it pleases me this
memory/has swollen up with age./even time can do/good things to you
Even at their most melancholy, like the spectral mood-piece "Your Algebra"
or the sublime "The Weird Divide," the simple melodies embed themselves in
your head with such forceful clarity. I heard "Girl Inform Me" for the first
time at their recent opening gig for Mercury Rev in L.A., but once was
enough. When I heard just the first few notes for the second time when
listening to Oh, Inverted World, I immediately recognized that this was the
song—the one from the show that cemented the idea that, yes, I needed their
CD and I would end up loving this band.
Few "hype" bands live up to expectations set by their inclusion on numerous
top 10 lists. The Shins are still residing on a lower rung of the hype
ladder than say, The White Stripes or The Strokes, but it's easy to imagine
that even when every critic catches on to their wonderful hooks, they'll
disappoint very few of the folks who get the CD.
The Shins Oh, Inverted World
