Music Envy : Album of the Week

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

Song Highlight : Girl Sailor

My first exposure to The Shins was a review I heard on National Public Radio. Initially I did not like what I heard. I thought it was too college radio, too radio friendly — just another song tailored to appeal to the masses. However, I did manage to give the record a listen. During that listen my musical mind was taken over by the superb recording quality, clever lyrical content and the unusual vocal melodies. There was at least a 3 week period where the album was my companion while I spun my way to work on a ten mile bike ride.

Girl Sailor is one track in particular that grabbed me. I think it was the track’s placement in the album that had me hooked.  It comes at the point towards the end of an album where the next track can either pull you back in or help fade the album into the background. Girl Sailor takes off with an exclamation from the rhythm section followed by smooth decay of the guitar. Once I heard the walk down scale, I was in. The subtle complexity of the instrumentation, particularly its well placed syncopation, keeps the songs moving. Again, the unusual vocal melody and delivery really sell this song.

Lyrically, The Shins are on another plain of existence. I often wonder exactly what they are trying to say but I somehow manage to find some parallels in my own life that give the songs a personal touch. I have often heard from die hard Shins fans that this is the worst of The Shins releases. Oh well, let them hate if it makes them feel better. For me, this will sit on my shelf as one of the heavy hitters in my arsenal.

— Chris Darby