Oh, Inverted World
The Shins
Sub Pop SP 550
2001
The debut album by the Shins is one of my all time favorite albums. I can't believe it is already 15 years old, it stills seems so fresh to me. The first time I heard the band was when I heard "New Slang" on the radio while driving to work. It astonished me so much that I pulled over to listen to it more closely. People make fun of that scene in "Garden State" where Natalie Portman tells Zach Braff "New Slang" will change his life but I get what she means (even though I also hate that scene.) As was the case with Belle and Sebastian (who I fell in love with around the same time) I felt a strong personal connection to the Shins. For awhile these two bands were the soundtrack to my life. I listened to them all the time and when I wasn't listening to them I still heard their songs in my head. All the songs on this record were written and sung by James Mercer. The album begins wonderfully with "Caring is Creepy" which is an enigmatic song expressing alienation and unhappiness. The song has a soaring melody driven by cascading keyboards and jangly guitar runs over which Mercer sensitively croons the words. "One by One All Day" features the line that gives the album its title. It is an evocative description of coming of age in a rural setting. It is a rollicking song with a lot of propulsion that strongly appeals to me. The music shifts dramatically for the languid melody of "The Weird Divide" which poetically reminisces about a past relationship. The oddly titled "Know Your Onion!" recalls adolescent alienation and unhappiness. I like the reference to favorite records and books being Mercer's only fun back then, I felt quite similar feelings for awhile as a teenager. It features a punchy rocked up tune with a ebullient pop sound to it. "Girl Inform Me" is a charming and neurotic love song that evocatively captures the anxiety of a new relationship. It is irrestibly catchy jangle pop that fills me with joy whenever I hear it. Side two opens with "New Slang" which expresses alienation from a town and frustration with an unrequited love in stunningly poetic verses that have always enraptured me. It is a simple folk rock song but I find the melody haunting and mesmerizing. Mercer's poignant vocal moves me immensely. I consider it is one of the best pop songs I've ever heard. "The Celibate Life" dissects an unfaithful girlfriend. It is another captivating jangle pop tune that makes me feel good to be alive. "Girl on the Wing" looks back wistfully at a disintegrating relationship. It is a choppy rocker smoothed out with power pop sweetness that gets me bopping. "Your Algebra" is a mysterious and slightly sinister song with an appropriately creepy melody that stands out sharply from the other tunes on the record. It concludes with an odd coda featuring spooky keyboard music and children's voices and laughter. The album returns to its normal sound with "Pressed in a Book" which is a prickly song that describes the tension between friends. It is jaunty power pop with a pounding riff driving it. The album ends with "The Past and Pending" which is a devastating account of a break-up loaded with powerful metaphors. It is a gentle tune with a delicate arrangement. It gives the record a sensitive and emotional finish. Thus concludes an absolutely perfect record, an album that I consider to be a masterpiece. Lyrically and musically it pushes all my buttons, I find it endlessly listenable. I wish it had been around when I was an unhappy adolescent, it would have been my Bible. For better or worse I'm far removed from that, but I remember it well and I think that is why the album still resonates strongly for me. I'm always drawn to personal music and the way Mercer poured his heart out and drew from his experiences and alienation to create his songs is tremendously compelling to me. To me that is what good art is all about. Recommended to fans of early Belle and Sebastian.
Port of Morrow
The Shins
Columbia 88691-926701
2012
It is mid-September and I still haven't blogged about a record from this year. I'm so far behind on my backlog that I haven't even blogged about all the records I liked from last year. I've been sitting on this one for months already. It is one of my favorites of the year so far. I guess the Shins never
changed my life, but they did definitely make it better. "Oh, Inverted World" and "Chutes Too Narrow" have long been two of the handful of albums that I turn to
when I'm feeling down and need a lift. The Shins were a band I strongly
connected with on an emotional and intellectual level. Thus I was really unhappy a few years ago when I heard that James Mercer had fired his band mates in the Shins or chose to go in a different musical direction depending on whose perspective you believe. Nonetheless there was no question that Mercer was the creative force in the band and I had high hopes for his new projects which his excellent music with Broken Bells confirmed. I was surprised and a little dismayed when I heard that Mercer had signed with a major label (Columbia) and formed a new version of the band. My initial thought that it was kind of a dick move akin to Axl Rose and his version of Guns N' Roses. I have a lot of respect for Mercer's talent so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that this album is as good as the other Shins albums although admittedly only one of the new Shins actually appears on the album, drummer Joe Plummer, who appears on about half the tracks. Mercer's principal collaborator on the album is Greg Kurstin of the Bird and the Bee who co-produced the album and plays multiple instruments on it. The album begins with "The Rifle's Spiral" which appears to be about a suicide bomber. Mercer is one of the best lyricists in alternative rock and this song's brilliant imagery and language is proof of that. With Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss pounding the skins the song has a lot of drive and Kurstin fills out the song with loads of synth sounds. The whirling force of the music and the space age sound effects running through it reflect the frenzied thoughts of the terrorist in the song. "Simple Song" is a charming and romantic love song. The line "you know things can really get rough when you go it alone" makes me think of the break-up of the original Shins although in the context of the song, it is more likely a reference to being single. Weiss' muscular drumming again forcefully propels the song along its course and it has a soaring, upbeat melody that made it the natural choice for the single off the album. Mercer's vocal is very passionate and uplifting. It is anything but a "simple song," I think it is one of the best songs Mercer has ever done. "It's Only Life" offers the title advice to a friend going through some problems. I don't mean to make light of anyone's existential crisis, but if your biggest worry is that "time will wash every tower to the sea," you should count your blessings. The song shows off Mercer's great range as a vocalist. He starts out low and then takes off into the upper register where he is so effective. "Bait and Switch" picks up the pace again with a highly propulsive tune about a guy whose peaceful solitary existence gets disrupted when he takes up with a wild girlfriend whose allure he can't resist. The song's potential misogyny is leavened by Mercer's typically clever descriptions and metaphors. Side one ends with "September," another lyrical love song in which Mercer acknowledges his shortcomings and his appreciation that his lover perceives his good qualities and that she brings him happiness. This slow, romantic song with a slight exotica flavor is the tune on the album that most resembles the classic Shins sound. It would fit comfortably on any of their previous albums. "No Way Down" is surprisingly political and polemical in its tone. Mercer addresses the economic inequities in the world. With pointed references to Asian wage slaves and the upper crust elite over here, Mercer doesn't beat around the bush. The song sounds like it was inspired by the Occupy movement. It has a strong beat and is sonically rich, it really jumps out of the speakers. It is one of my favorite songs on the record. "For A Fool" in contrast is slow and languid as Mercer describes the aftermath of a bad relationship and trying to get over the resulting heartbreak and humiliation. The song features some of Mercer's most emotional and soulful singing. "Fall of '82" is a song in which Mercer expresses his gratitude to his sister for helping him get over a dark period in his life in 1982 and helping to make him the person he became. It is a remarkably personal and revealing song that I find very touching. In keeping with its theme, the song has a retro flavor that brings to mind 1970s era pop to me. "40 Mark Strasse" is about a German girl from an unhappy home who sleeps with American soldiers and a boy who wants to save her from that life. This song features a complicated multi-tracked vocal performance from Mercer that gives a lot of beauty and depth to an otherwise ordinary tune. The album concludes with the title cut which is a grim song about the evil in the world and the falseness of perceptions that we as humans are different from the rest of nature. I think he is directing his observations towards religions and other beliefs emphasizing the moral superiority of specific people. Mercer sings in two different octaves so it sounds almost like a duet. It is a remarkable song that ends the album in a majestic manner albeit one that I find a bit depressing with lines like "there are flowers in the garbage and a skull under your curls." I agree with Mercer's perspective but I don't really want to be reminded about "the bitter mechanics of life." I consider James Mercer to be one of the major talents in contemporary rock and I'm happy to report that my worries about him stumbling on some ego trip have been alleviated by this excellent album. It is clear that despite signing to a major label, Mercer's vision is uncompromised and his music is as strong as ever. Long live the new Shins whoever they are! Recommended to fans of the old Shins.
