Album: Port of Morrow
Artist: The Shins
Label: Columbia Records
Release Date: March 20
Grade: A-
Time doesn't necessarily equal quality when it comes to music.
A long time lapse between an artist's albums usually signifies some sort of directional shift. Sometimes musicians will end up giving their fans a more experimental work after the wait - a hit or miss approach.
Radiohead and Ghostface Killah were able to turn in masterpieces with Kid A (2000) and Supreme Clientele(2000), respectively, after taking that chance. Then there are jumbled messes like The Strokes' Angles (2011), an album that took five years to make.
The Shins is a part of a genre that easily falls prey to repetition and monotony - indie pop. Consequently, the direction they took in their latest effort, Port of Morrow, can be considered daring. The Shins refined their sound instead of experimenting, and it worked. Catchy but never shallow, melodic but unpredictable, Port of Morrow is an example of indie pop done right.
The album is strong in all aspects, but one thing that's immediately striking is that it constantly changes progressions in each song. On top of that, there are just little touches, such as the schizophrenic backing guitar on "Simple Song" and the triumphant horns on "Fall of '82." These are just a few of the nuances that don't seem forced at all and work to complete each melody.
What puts the album on another level is the consistent meshing of every single change. Every song carries some sense of importance and adds to Port of Morrow's cohesion. Yet, it's still all so catchy - what more is there to ask from an indie pop album?
Singer James Mercer, adds depth to Port of Morrow while the instrumentsfluctuate; his songwriting skills are in top form. The Shins lone founding member has lyrics that range from optimism ("Simple Song") to scathing criticisms ("The Rifle's Spiral") to the metaphorical ("September").
The best part about it all is that his lyrical delivery sounds honest and direct. Port of Morrow is about life's ups and downs, and the fact that Mercer doesn't sound clich?(c) at all while singing about the theme is an achievement in itself.
The musical landscape has changed during the 11 years since The Shins' first album. However, the band has released four great albums while keeping a mostly consistent formula. Perhaps good music really is timeless.
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Photo: Mhdariby / Wikimedia Commons
