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Wincing the Night Away

The Shins

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iTunes Review

This moody, inward-looking third album finds indie darlings the Shins sidling out from underneath the expectations of critics and fans. If there aren’t quite as many shivery moments of headphone bliss as on their first two albums, well, the band seems to be aiming for something more textured here. (Though there’s no dearth of goosebump moments on Wincing; witness the swoony violin line on “Red Rabbits,” the bubblegum harmonies of “Girl Sailor,” or the shimmery wash of keyboards on “Split Needles.”) The Phil Ek-produced Wincing is more varied in both song structure and sonic palette, full of distortions, lo-fi samples, swirling strings, and warm surges of synth. Some moments sound downright experimental, like the stuttering, almost hip-hop beats of “Sea Legs,” or the spacey electronica that backs Mercer’s falsetto on the opening of “Swimming Lessons.” With their sunny, vocal-led melodies, though, “Australia” and “Phantom Limb” are vintage Shins, and “A Comet Appears” is the contender for this album’s “New Slang,” an aching slice of soft rock whose sweet melody belies the blackness of its lyrics: “Let’s carve my aging face off / Fetch us a knife, start with my eyes / down so the lines form a grimacing smile.” Transcendence is OK as far as it goes, but sometimes there’s more depth to be gained by staying earthbound.

Customer Reviews

TBTR: Track by Track Review of Wincing the Night Away

I've been mostly a casual Shins listener, clinging to big tracks like "Saint Simon," "Kissing the Lipless," and "Caring Is Creepy." Now comes the highly-anticipated album, Wincing the Night Away. 1.) Sleeping Lesssons - Weird intro and effects. Well-written verses with a genius musical arrangement. It's a kind of "run-on" song, but the pick-up-as-you-go-along arrangement is intriguing, creative, and just plain perfect. It might take a listener some time to appreciate this Shins kind of sound, but it shouldn't take long. I'd give this track about a 4.4, rounding to (4 stars). 2.) Australia - Fun but laid-back intro. It's CATCHY, so no wonders it's one of the Shins' current top downloaded tracks. It gets even catchier as it goes along. Genius musical arrangment. 'Nuff said. (5 stars) 3.) Pam Berry - Creative and unique, and also very short. It's a perfect intro to the next track, "Phantom Limb." As a track on it's own, it's pretty decent. (4 stars) 4.) Phantom Limb - Perfect, catchy, original and fun. I don't care who you are or what you listen to; this song is excellent. Melodies are expertly crafted and sung with expressive talent. The outro is a little on the long side, but you'll soon learn to overlook it. (5 stars) 5.) Sea Legs - A calm, cool and collect (as well as creative) intro. Well-written to a T and very Shin-ish. Catchy and (excuse my French) badass in pretty much every way. The arrangement is just plain perfect. This one might take you a listen or two before you really get into it, but when you do, it's one of the best. (5 stars) 6.) Red Rabbits - Water dripping intro? Again, creative. It's kind of mesmerizing and definitely very laid-back. The lyrics are interesting and incredible. Again, the arragement just blows me away. Lead singer James Russell Mercer has some obvious talent. The crowd effect at the end is pretty cool. (5 stars) 7.) Turn On Me - .... Just hit that preview button for a second. Fun, upbeat, catchy.. well-written.. perfectly arranged.. seeing a pattern here? Maybe you should just skip the rest of the review and BUY THE ALBUM. But if you're not quite convinced, please read on. (5 stars) 8.) Black Wave - A shorter song with a long intro. It's musically just plain genius, but the verse melody sounds a lot like track 1. It feels like more of an interlude song to me. It's really the only song on this whole album I could do without. Musically I'd say it's a 4.3, but for a listener I'd say (3 stars). 9.) Split Needles - Nice drums on the intro. Lyrics are just grade-A in every way. Melodies again are well-written and especially catchy at the part "Oh, won't you do me the favor, man / Of a giving mind / A polymorphing opinion here / And your vague outline." It's a little more on the not happy side than the other tracks, but once you're hooked on this album, it doesn't really matter. I'd really rate this song a 4.4, rounded to (4 stars). 10.) Girl Sailor - Now we're back to the happy, upbeat feel of the past Shins tracks. Catchy, well-written.. now I'm just repeating myself. Why are you still reading this? BUY THE ALBUM. Additionally - the arrangement here sends you off to another world, all of it complemented by talented vocals, masterpiece lyrics and etc. etc. (5 stars) 11.) A Comet Appears - A reflective finale track. Soft, pleasant with a sleepy tone. The interlude is striking. This song actually feels a lot shorter than it is, which is not nessacerily a bad thing. [sigh]. Well-written, perfectly arranged. The vocal harmony on the chorus is soothing. Wow. (5 stars) Final: 4.54 (rounded to a 5). BUY. NOW. I have been searching long and hard for musicians who can write unique but high-quality music. This is the Shins in every way. Every song is well-written (lyrics and melody), expertly arranged, and just plain great. Catcy, fun, mostly upbeat, but unique too. I HIGHLY recommend it. Total: 4.54 -> 5 stars

Indie at its finest

I am a relatively new Shin's listener; I'm glad my eyes have finally been opened. This music is accessible, but takes a little while to really appreciate. I enjoy the album more with every listen, and I can't say that about most of the music I enjoy. This album is beautifully produced and the songs are each a well-crafted masterpiece. The album as a whole flows nicely and evenly until the last note. I recommend this to anyone who likes indie music or pop music in general. It's soft and delicate, but packs a punch just the same. Songs like "Australia" and "Turn On Me" draw you in, and then you find yourself sucked into each and every track. My Favorites: "Australia," "Turn on Me," and "A Comet Appears."

Turn on Me -- Single of the year?

This is a far moodier album by the Shins. The Alternate version of Split Needles, not on the album, just plain rocks. So that's one youll need to get individually. The album really has its moments, like Austraila, Phantom Limb and A Comet Appears. But hands down, one of the great singles ever--or at least in a long time--has to be Turn on Me. This Byrds-meets-Beatles Revolveresque tune is incredible-- melodic, edgy and tragic all at once. A great, timeless track. It will own this spring, if America will just give groups and records like this a chance.

Biography

Formed: 1997 in Albuquerque, NM

Genre: Alternative

Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s

A classic guitar pop group almost nine years in the making, Albuquerque, New Mexico's the Shins began in 1997 as the side project of singer/songwriter and guitarist James Mercer's primary band, Flake. Mercer formed Flake in 1992 with drummer Jesse Sandoval, keyboardist Marty Crandall, and bassist Neal Langford; they eventually changed their name to Flake Music, releasing several singles,...
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