The Shins
June 22, 2007
The Shins
Wincing the Night Away
(Trangressive Records)
Following on perfectly from 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow, The Shins have yet again produced another brilliant album with Wincing The Night Away, due for release early next year.
Crashing open with ‘Sleeping Lessons’, a xylophone-laden and vocally distorted track, which builds up into the beautiful songs we’ve come to know from The Shins, will keep fans happy and attract many more to their unique mix of poetic lyrics and experimental indie.
The band seem to have drawn on many influences for this release, with beats reminiscent of Beck, and vocal melodies that hint back to 80’s pop-ballads and Duran Duran. ‘Sea Legs’ is an example of this amalgamation of musical inspiration, with drifting vocals and juddering acoustic guitars producing one of the stand-out tracks on the album.
‘A Comet Appears’ finishes the record in classic Shins style with understated, harmonious arpeggios, and lyrical perfection, “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”.
Wincing The Night Away is a definite leap in progression for The Shins, taking their always sublime lyrics and distinct guitar sounds, but adding the experimental electro element to it has shown that they are beginning to discover themselves and aren’t afraid of change.
Tim Modridge
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