The Shins: Wincing The Night Away

It is hard to believe that it has been over two years since Natalie Portman, Garden State and the Shins all teamed up to change our lives. Since then, the indie popsters have found their way onto countless myspace profiles of kids who were hopelessly in love with the band and who longed to one day hear a third song of theirs that was not on the G State soundtrack. Honestly though, I like totally was into them like a year before that movie came out. Like totally. I discovered The Shins at my local library on a cd rack containing what must have been at least twenty(!) cds. Lord only knows how their sophomore album, Chutes Too Narrow, found its way into that library. I was intrigued by the albums opening claps and subsequent 'woo!', but I knew I was onto something when I first heard So Says I, again largely because of the infectious 'woo's that adorn the song's crescendo.

And now The Shins are back in 2007 to change more lives with a fuller more developed sound. The album opener, Sleeping Lessons, serves as a perfect bridge between the old and new Shins. Bubbling with intimacy and what actually sounds like bubbles, Sleeping Lessons transitions from the soft closeness that made the band famous to a rollicking indie rock anthem. Once the songs kicks into gear, the group finally converts vast potential into a fully realized dynamic sound.

From their, the familiar vibe of previous albums presents itself but with a little more of everything. The hooks and harmonies reach a little farther, the guitar goes a little bigger and louder, and general cohesiveness of the band is stronger than ever before. The single, Phantom Limb is one of the best examples of this, opening with a fuzzy bass line, and slowly adding new concepts to the familiar sounds of their previous material. It culminates in a cool drive that is reminiscent of indie pop chieftains, The New Pornographers. Yes, I called them chieftains, but anyone who has heard Twin Cinema will have a hard time disagreeing with me. Generally, Wincing the Night Away is not surprising, but solid and enjoyable. If you enjoy lighthearted and twinkling indie pop, you will have a hard time not liking this album.