The Shins are back, but should I care?

I would like to be honest and say that I had little hope for The Shins in 2012. Their Grammy nominated delight, Wincing the Night Away, shoved lead singer/songwriter into the limelight but nearly five years have passed and the musical landscape has changed significantly. When I heard the announcement that The Shins were going to release a new album, Port of Morrer, in March, on frontman James Mercers’ own label Aural Apothecary, I pondered as to where the poetic indie pop which I used to so enjoy would fit; guitar music has dropped entirely out of the charts and the young dreamers who would once have been exposed to jangly alternative rock through watching the OC are now transfixed on the overproduced pomp that is Glee. Let us say that it is not 2007 anymore. I am pleasantly surprised to report then, that after listening to Port of Morrer, none of these issues matter. Mercer has returned with a mature and elegant album, and the wait has certainly done him and the band no harm.

The album kicks off with the energetic ‘Rifle’s Spiral’ which is certainly one of the standout tracks for the album. The next track, ‘Simple Song’, was released as a taster to the album and so the keen-eared among you may have heard it already. It is thoroughly enjoyable with a catchy chorus that nearly verges on epic (but thankfully manages to contain itself before reaching Coldplay levels). There is an underlying message of hope throughout the album which I never garnered from the three previous albums which all had quite dark undercurrents. The Shins’ new found maturity brings with it a more expansive sound including string sections and a glockenspiel, with some tracks even verging on funk.

There are certain times, however, when the songs fail to hit the mark, including ‘It’s Only Life’, which was not as heartfelt and moving as it thought it was and had a rather grating chorus. These annoying patches are only fleeting and the album has enough beautiful moments to be deemed a successful return to action for the band. The end track, with the same title as the album, is a shimmering joy which leaves the listener in no doubt that The Shins are back.

Subpop, which the band used to be on, are one of my favourite ever labels. The Seattle record label which has had everything from Nirvana to Fleet Foxes on is normally a sure-thing for me if I am ever in need of some bands to get me through the day. I was therefore disappointed to hear that The Shins would not be releasing on Subpop, as it seemed to me to be a marriage made in heaven. It strikes me now though, after listening to the album as a whole, that by self-releasing, The Shins have been able to produce a more mature and polished album. It may not reach the heights of Wincing the Night Away but Port of Morrer does bring a freshness which was sorely missing in 2012. The lolloping indie pop that was once plastered wall to wall at the beginning of the new millennium is now only done well by a few bands and this album shows that Mercer and co deserve to be considered contenders.

The latest album from The Shins, Port of Morrer is released on March 19.