I’ve been a devoted fan of The Shins since their debut Oh, Inverted World – way before Natalie Portman proclaimed that the band would change your life, even before “New Slang” appeared in a McDonald’s commercial. So it has been a long five year wait for their fourth full length Port of Morrow, and a lot has changed. James Mercer remains the frontman with songwriting duties, lead vocals, and multi-instrumentalist. Gone is longtime label Sub Pop, and in its place is major name Columbia; gone is the founding line-up and in its place is producer/multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin (The Bird And The Bee); and lastly, and most significantly, the sound itself is now pure, slickly produced pop. In the last couple years Mercer channeled his creative energy into the highly successful collaboration with Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton in Broken Bells, making it clear that he seeks new sounds and level of polish, which he achieves with Port of Morrow. And while this collection of shimmering pop is solid, even great, it is not as edgy or traditionally Shins’ sounding. The risk is that as The Shins open their doors to mainstream pop, they may leave longtime fans behind; the artistry and greatness lies in Mercer’s ability to entice longtime fans along for this new ride. For a taste of the new Shins, check out tracks “September”, “Bait and Switch” and souls/jazz closer “Port of Morrow.” – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Blind Pilot, Broken Bells, Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Real Estate