Spring Break
'Wince' With Ease
CD Review
Ashley McGown
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Focus
Anyone familiar with Zach Braff's indie flick "Garden State" has, undoubtedly, heard of the Shins. Besides the fact that Braff went around gushing about them on late night talk shows while promoting the film, he also included two of their songs on the soundtrack - one of which the quirky leading lady Sam, claimed would "change your life."
Despite all of the press and acclaim that the Shins received as a result of this, they declined offers to sign to a major record label. For their third full-length release, "Wincing the Night Away," which was release on Tuesday, the Shins decided to stay with Sub Pop records.
In a recent interview with Seattle Weekly, lead singer James Mercer said, "I really don't see any area where Sub Pop can't do for us what the majors can, except for maybe commercial radio … But to me, Sub Pop is just as good as Capitol Records right now."
In the end, this was probably a smart move for the band. Although the Shins have sold more than a million records worldwide, the chances of them surviving on a major label are slim. Their past two records have been solid, but the Shins don't seem to be likely contenders for commercial radio play any time soon. Up until, and throughout, for that matter, "Wincing the Night Away," the Shins have produced song after song of candid music, but none of which would fit cohesively into mainstream radio.
While "Wincing the Night Away" isn't exactly a far-cry from the first two albums, the Shins have managed to further develop their style on the new album.
The appropriately (or perhaps inappropriately) titled first single, "The Phantom Limb," is a song, Mercer has said, about two young lesbians. The song is sung in the first person narrative, and deals with the girls' lack of acceptance in their hometown.
"This town seems hardly worth our time / Too far along in our crime / Stepping over what now towers to the sky."
In the song "Turn On Me," Mercer talks about a relationship gone awry. "You can fake it for a while / bite your tongue and smile / like every mother does an ugly child," he sings. "I can see that change was just too hard for us / You always had to hold the reigns."
Themes similar to this have been prevalent on many of the Shins' releases, which make it ironic that in the track "Girl Sailor," Mercer sings, "A stronger girl would shake this off in flight / And never give it more than a frowning hour."
After, however, Mercer goes on to say, "I cannot lecture you / I cannot claim to be more than a passenger."
"Girl Sailor," along with many of the other tracks on the album, is roughly four minutes long. Most of the songs on "Wincing the Night Away," can be summed up in one word: comforting. There's something about Mercer's voice, as well as the serene music he's singing along to, that has the power to make anyone feel at home. While most records, even some of the greatest, often take some warming up to, the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" should put you right at ease and make you smile the first time you throw it on.
Despite all of the press and acclaim that the Shins received as a result of this, they declined offers to sign to a major record label. For their third full-length release, "Wincing the Night Away," which was release on Tuesday, the Shins decided to stay with Sub Pop records.
In a recent interview with Seattle Weekly, lead singer James Mercer said, "I really don't see any area where Sub Pop can't do for us what the majors can, except for maybe commercial radio … But to me, Sub Pop is just as good as Capitol Records right now."
In the end, this was probably a smart move for the band. Although the Shins have sold more than a million records worldwide, the chances of them surviving on a major label are slim. Their past two records have been solid, but the Shins don't seem to be likely contenders for commercial radio play any time soon. Up until, and throughout, for that matter, "Wincing the Night Away," the Shins have produced song after song of candid music, but none of which would fit cohesively into mainstream radio.
While "Wincing the Night Away" isn't exactly a far-cry from the first two albums, the Shins have managed to further develop their style on the new album.
The appropriately (or perhaps inappropriately) titled first single, "The Phantom Limb," is a song, Mercer has said, about two young lesbians. The song is sung in the first person narrative, and deals with the girls' lack of acceptance in their hometown.
"This town seems hardly worth our time / Too far along in our crime / Stepping over what now towers to the sky."
In the song "Turn On Me," Mercer talks about a relationship gone awry. "You can fake it for a while / bite your tongue and smile / like every mother does an ugly child," he sings. "I can see that change was just too hard for us / You always had to hold the reigns."
Themes similar to this have been prevalent on many of the Shins' releases, which make it ironic that in the track "Girl Sailor," Mercer sings, "A stronger girl would shake this off in flight / And never give it more than a frowning hour."
After, however, Mercer goes on to say, "I cannot lecture you / I cannot claim to be more than a passenger."
"Girl Sailor," along with many of the other tracks on the album, is roughly four minutes long. Most of the songs on "Wincing the Night Away," can be summed up in one word: comforting. There's something about Mercer's voice, as well as the serene music he's singing along to, that has the power to make anyone feel at home. While most records, even some of the greatest, often take some warming up to, the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" should put you right at ease and make you smile the first time you throw it on.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Suzanne
posted 2/01/07 @ 2:19 PM EST
I totally agree with this story. This album is stuck (by choice) in the cd player. It's a breath of fresh air and I love it. Some of their very best. (Continued…)
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