After a hiatus of approximately five years, indie hotshot The Shins is back with a fifth album to add to its repertoire. As is the case with the previous album as well, the band lineup has changed almost completely outside of lead singer and founding member James Mercer. And again, similar to the last album, the new album, “Heartworms,” is a near complete departure from its former effort, “Port of Morrow.”
Over the years, fans of The Shins have been treated with a continually changing musical aesthetic and vibe, but no departure seemed quite as radical as that of “Port of Morrow,” where the group traded a folksy, down-to-earth indie rock sound for a more highly produced, electronic-influenced indie pop outfit. With “Heartworms,” The Shins have indicated that this departure will be final; indeed there is no return to form to be found on this album. There is barely even a continuance of the sounds and themes present on “Port of Morrow,” a semi-somber album with a fluid touch of life and the sounds of eclectic synth mixed with conventional rhythmic sections and light guitar instrumentation.
“Heartworms,” appears to be an attempt to revitalize the band’s sound, though only time will tell if it’s successful in doing so. This album ventures into a new environment and mood for The Shins, straying away from darker, poetic or nostalgic tones and experimenting more with a funky, zany and sometimes wild touch. The percussion and overall rhythmic accompaniment, followed by song structure, is entirely more phrenetic and lively, with faster pacing overall, and less typical indie folk sounding drum work. The postproduction work on this album also makes the stylistic change much more apparent, with different levels of reverb and effects work, as well as new synth elements that play strong to the retro-revival scene. Seen specifically in bands like Cymbals Eat Guitars for example, this album revives musical practices from ‘80s synth pop as well as other scenes and integrates them into the songs seamlessly to create something new and in a class of its own.
Is “Heartworms” going to taste the same success of prior albums? It’s hard to tell. For one thing, fans of classic Shins will still be left wanting for more of that “Oh Inverted World” era sound. Though bands should always strive to innovate, there’s a point to be made about straying so far from your original sound that you’ve left a void in its place for fans of that era. This new version of The Shins is essentially a completely different band, after all. And to add to that, though it may be that (to paraphrase “Weird Divide”) memory of the band’s old albums has simply grown warmer given time, these new tracks don’t seem quite as memorable. They don’t jump out in quite the way that charming classics like “Australia” or “Turn a Square” do. Perhaps they’re less catchy, or perhaps they’re too fresh, but either way, something about them doesn’t seem quite as endearing.
On the other hand, The Shins still have a sound wholly in a class of its own, extremely original and unlike much else out there. Their lyrics are still endearing, and Mercer’s voice is still as enchanting as ever. It’s hard to tell immediately if this new album is a great revolution, or destined to be pushed to the back of the band’s catalogue as a result of disinterest. When it comes right down to it though, regardless of the band’s prior sound, this is a solid album. Perhaps not amazing, but certainly worth a listen. It’s pleasant, high-quality and there are definitely some great high moments on there. Maybe it won’t be your favorite album, but give it a shot anyway; you might be surprised.
