Family Portrait circa 95
for my non-letu folks. My reviewer didnt send me back a final edit of my shins review, so you shall have to suffer through the unedited draft. ooo hoooh.
The Shins are a retro band with '60s sound. They were formed in 1997 after lead singer James Mercer's previous band had ended. "Wincing the Night Away" is their newest album released in January 2007.
The Shins' quiet, retro sound was first introduced to a wide audience when their first hit "New Slang" was used in a McDonald's commercial and in Zach Braff's film "Garden State."
The follow-up album "So Says I" contained an ambitious array of great songs, expanding the band's repertoire while staying true to their distinctive "flower power" sound.
Some fans thought the band's continued success would mean a more commercially-appealing, attention-grabbing sound. The songs on "Wincing the Night Away," however, directly contradict this assumption and actually hearken back to the sounds of the band's earliest work. This is a quiet album with unassuming songs that reveal deeper beauty with repeated listening.
The album begins with the hushed synth scales of "Sleeping Lessons." The instruments quietly enter one-by-one, beginning the album with a humble tune that is yet very soothing. The electric guitars eventually arrive two minutes into the song, before it relaxes back into the perfect soundtrack for watching Lava Lamps.
The following song, "Australia," is an album highlight with its pleasant melody, banjo section, and echoing, bouncing guitars.
The first single, "Phantom Limb," has fascinating, though enigmatic lyrics. The chorus speaks of an alienated desire to be a part of someone's life, rather than simply watching it like a fly "skirt[ing] the hallway sides."
The song's video depicts a lavish grade school historical production, in which the band features prominently as musicians and actors. A tribe of South American natives presents gifts to a party of conquistadors, and drops dead after a casual handshake. A war ensues, an angel assists a band of lost settlers, and a young girl is set to be burned at the stake as the video fades. Even if the words do not mean anything, Mercer's enunciation blends perfectly into the song.
"Red Rabbits" has a spritely synth background, layered beneath a melancholy strings section during the bridge.
The album's closer, "A Comet Appears," sounds exactly like it could have come from their first album, showing how carefully the Shins have crafted a comfortable sound that is all their own.
To see some of the band's older videos and for tour information, visit their website at http://www.theshins.com/.
At the time of this writing, the band had not put the Phantom Limb video on their website, though it can be found at YouTube.com. In addition, a number of small, hidden videos can be found by playing with the band's rather mysterious home page.
The Shins are a retro band with '60s sound. They were formed in 1997 after lead singer James Mercer's previous band had ended. "Wincing the Night Away" is their newest album released in January 2007.
The Shins' quiet, retro sound was first introduced to a wide audience when their first hit "New Slang" was used in a McDonald's commercial and in Zach Braff's film "Garden State."
The follow-up album "So Says I" contained an ambitious array of great songs, expanding the band's repertoire while staying true to their distinctive "flower power" sound.
Some fans thought the band's continued success would mean a more commercially-appealing, attention-grabbing sound. The songs on "Wincing the Night Away," however, directly contradict this assumption and actually hearken back to the sounds of the band's earliest work. This is a quiet album with unassuming songs that reveal deeper beauty with repeated listening.
The album begins with the hushed synth scales of "Sleeping Lessons." The instruments quietly enter one-by-one, beginning the album with a humble tune that is yet very soothing. The electric guitars eventually arrive two minutes into the song, before it relaxes back into the perfect soundtrack for watching Lava Lamps.
The following song, "Australia," is an album highlight with its pleasant melody, banjo section, and echoing, bouncing guitars.
The first single, "Phantom Limb," has fascinating, though enigmatic lyrics. The chorus speaks of an alienated desire to be a part of someone's life, rather than simply watching it like a fly "skirt[ing] the hallway sides."
The song's video depicts a lavish grade school historical production, in which the band features prominently as musicians and actors. A tribe of South American natives presents gifts to a party of conquistadors, and drops dead after a casual handshake. A war ensues, an angel assists a band of lost settlers, and a young girl is set to be burned at the stake as the video fades. Even if the words do not mean anything, Mercer's enunciation blends perfectly into the song.
"Red Rabbits" has a spritely synth background, layered beneath a melancholy strings section during the bridge.
The album's closer, "A Comet Appears," sounds exactly like it could have come from their first album, showing how carefully the Shins have crafted a comfortable sound that is all their own.
To see some of the band's older videos and for tour information, visit their website at http://www.theshins.com/.
At the time of this writing, the band had not put the Phantom Limb video on their website, though it can be found at YouTube.com. In addition, a number of small, hidden videos can be found by playing with the band's rather mysterious home page.
