An album review: The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

It is no secret that I am madly in love with Zach Braff (He's JD for god's sake!). In fact, anyone who walks into my kitchen can immediately see proof of my room's devotion in the form of his picture on the wall. Because of this adoration, it is also true by the transitive property that I love The Shins.

Alright, this isn't entirely true seeing as I discovered the magic of the band about a year or so before Mr. Braff was anything more than "that funny medical intern on TV." However, their role in Garden State did cement my fan-hood for good.

Judging by their sold-out CMJ show, their (almost) daily headlines in all the 'cool' music trades (catch them on the cover of the latest issue of Filter with my favorite man from The Office, John Krasinski), and their constant new features on iTunes (I wonder what this week's exclusive single will be?), most people already know all they need to on the band, so I'll spare the details. Instead all I'll say is that The Shins have a new album. It's called "Wincing The Night Away". And I'm here to review it.

I've given myself a good month or so with this album so I think I've got a pretty good feel for it.

My initial response to the album was that it was good, dare I say great. Stand out tracks include: "Australia", "Girl Sailor", and "Phantom Limb". The Shins are pros at light and airy music that hides a deeper weight, and they do not fail on their latest release. This new batch of tunes are sprinkled with simple yet elegant melodies, floating piano accents, and those unique vocals we all know so well. However, as much as I wanted this album to simply be "another great album", I started to notice a lack of continuity between tracks. Alone, each song appeals to me, while still sounding like The Shins we love; strung together, the albums lacks the feel of a true 'album'. Wincing the Night Away feels more like a compilation of extra tracks, than a standard LP. I think this aspect of my opinion is best summed up at this blog.

Don't get me wrong however, I do enjoy the album thoroughly, and would give it something like 7.5/10 if I had a standardized rating system. Seeing as I don't, I'll give it a gold star.

The Shins - Phantom Limb (Single)

The Shins Official Site