by The Shins List Price:$14.00 Our Price:$13.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2001
Label: Sub Pop
Average Customer Review: 4.5 Based on 232 reviews.
Sales Rank: 115
Tracks
1.
Pressed In A Book
2.
The Past And Pending
3.
Your Algebra
4.
Girl On The Wing
5.
The Celibate Life
6.
New Slang
7.
Girl Inform Me
8.
Know Your Onion!
9.
Weird Divide
10.
One By One All Day
11.
Caring Is Creepy
Editorial Review
Something extraordinary is afoot in Albuquerque. The Shins' first big-time record, Oh, Inverted World, combines mysterious narratives with golden song structures, resulting in lavish and opulent indie pop. Touches of Neutral Milk Hotel's lyrical majesty and the nostalgic swirl of Echo and the Bunnymen abound. But the Shins' music--rich with acoustic guitars, flickering rhythms, and Casio-tone keyboards--is distinct and peculiar. Worry mixes with abstraction throughout, and while James Mercer sings, "You led no celibate life / No skirt while chemicals danced on your head / You stole the keys to this ride / And your fables are falling tonight," you may wonder if he's been routing through your fondest, most troubling memories. This vital album is easily among 2001's most distinguished recordings and one of the best Sub Pop releases to date. --Thom Arno
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
4 Oh, Inverted World--A Catchy, Nice & Romantic Debut Album.
The Shins' first album, Oh Inverted World, is a really nice album. Describing their sound and album themselves, the Shin's muse, "Oh, inverted world--if every moment of our lives were cradled softly in the hands of a strange and gentle child I'd not roll my eyes so." Childish and foreign, The Shins' have created a dazzling and angelic album--on their debut, even. Oh, Inverted World is full of songs about all kinds of romantic stuff--whether they are singing of "two fallen saplings in an open field," "snow padding gently on an empty bench," "an old woman's jewelry lying unadorned" or "nesting robins allied for the first time," the Shins are always one step ahead of you: "I know when you hear these sappy lines you'll roll your eyes and say 'nice try'." Throughout the album they persist in their unique and poppy style--kiddish but pensive, effervescent but melancholy. The Shins, at times, however, are running a fine line between tolerable wistfulness and utter maudlinness, what with the children laughing and gurgling at the end of the otherwise extraordinary, "Your Algebra." Because of the hypnotizing melodies and James Mercer's disjointed and ghostly voice, however, even when the Shins fail lyrically ["the dirt in your fries"], you can forgive them because their songs show you that they are very nice people; to coerce your audience into forgiving you of your mistakes because of your amiability is a worthy feat within itself. "One By One All Day" and "Pressed in a Book" are the best songs on the album--two prime instances of many in which the Shins' combine driving tunes with upbeat refrains and acceptable wordplay. The album plays like a daydream, clocking in at a little more than thirty minutes, but may overstay its welcome slightly with the reiteration in "The Past and Pending"--but, then again, it's nothing that we can't forgive of them, and hopefully they will be able to improve the few mistakes on Oh, Inverted World and create an even better album next time around.
Rating:
4 Pop, turned upside down
The Shins, yet another outfit crawling from the wreckage of the post-Seattle boom, have released an ultimately impressive debut LP on Sub Pop. This is not your father's pop album. The first cut, "Caring is Creepy", snaps into action with an all too familiar sentiment: 'I think I'll go home and mull this over / before I cram it down my throat.' The entire album, in fact, resonates with a delicate blend of indie-emo poetry (self-loathing) and a lilting yet slamming pop sensibility (self-respect). Replete with memorable guitar schirzos and aggressively sentimental vocals, "O, Inverted World" nestles in that corner of the psyche that wants to simultaneously withdraw from reality and light the world on fire. The final track leaves you with, 'Loiter the whole day through and lose yourself in lines dissecting love.' Can your ultra-famous boy band pop-star say it any better than that? Exactly. Tailor made for fans of Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Pinback and Pedro the Lion, The Shins' catchy yet foreboding album won't disappoint. Close the blinds, open your ears and dare yourself not to sing along.
Rating:
5 a soundtrack for life
These rock/pop indie poets bring hope. Their music glides through the speaker just as one glides through their day. James Mercer is to lyrics what hot fudge is to ice cream. The music is simple, but his diction is so complex that it becomes something quite epic. Dylan did it too, but these guys make it look so easy on a debut album. If you love music, you already own it, but if it somehow passed you by, your World must be Inverted immediatly.
Rating:
5 well, more like 4.5 stars, but who's counting
I bought Oh, Inverted World on the strength of all the great reviews I'd read and the 30 second snippet of "New Slang" that Amazon provided, having never heard anything else by them. What great surprise. "New Slang" (which, bizarrely enough, is now the background music in a McDonald's commercial) was better than any 30 second sample could even hint at, and the rest of the CD is pretty great, too. Tracks 1, 2, 6, 10, and 11 are legitimately great songs, and the rest of the album is solid as well. I wish I could actually describe the music. It's sort of neo-electro-indie-folk or something like that. Whatever it is, it's damn good.
Rating:
4 short, sharp brilliance
I'm finding it increasingly difficult these days to find entire albums I simply adore. The core of my musical being belongs to bands like the Smiths, Pulp, Suede, and Belle and Sebastian, who I believe carried on the torch dropped by Morrissey & Marr in this dark, dusty new millenium. But this little masterpiece called "Oh, Inverted World" by the Shins seems destined to head down that same gilded path.I stumbled on this band by accident, looking up other acts on Amazon such as Stereo Total and Death by Chocolate. I was surprised to find out the Shins weren't from the UK, because they have a Britpop sound. Their soft, infectious rhythyms make it hard to do anything else except listen closely. Pretty much all the songs on this CD are exceptionally strong, with little filler. Okay, maybe "Your Algebra" references Os Mutantes a bit much, and yes, fine, "The Past and Pending" feels a bit long at the end there, but why carp? This album rolls dreamily by, as pretty and sublime as puffy white clouds in a clear blue spring sky. The thing is: this album is candy. Sweet and piercing, it will cloy lovingly at your heart, without you quite understanding why or how. And that's just fine."Know Your Onion" and "New Slang" are my two favorite songs, because they're sung in an aching ballad tempo with a bit of added verve behind it. Just my style. If you like Belle and Sebastian, but prefer their snappier (although more rare) tracks to their more heartfelt precious songs, then you'll really love the Shins. The album opener, "Caring is Creepy" immediately demands attention, because it has a soaring melody, with a glam-rock bent that recalls, oddly enough, Roxy Music. All the songs hang solidly onto quick, shocking melodies, and make their statement. Interestingly enough, there is a specific sound this band has, but is delicately adjusted tonally so that all the songs are momentously different, yet retain a similar aesthetic. It's a beautiful record, and a real achievement.The pristine, rocking sound of this CD could
Rating:
5 Where am I? a acid-induced dream?
No, I'm listening to The Shins stunning debut "Oh, Inverted World" Each song is a masterpiece of its own right, but I prefer the seemingly different 'Past and The Pending' because of its interesting horn work and downtrodden feel. This band took the indie world by storm when this album came out. It was entirely out of left-field: A psychedilic (sp) rock band out of New Mexico? How does that happen? and what's that? They sound good? sign me up. Its interesting to note that the track 'Celibate Life' not about abstinence in its traditional sense, but rather keeping away from drugs, which can be seen as satrical given the era they are borrowing from. The imagery is what really sells this album. Nowhere else will you find emotional imagery as vivid as The Shins (ex. Her lips when she speaks are the valleys and peaks of a mountain range on fire) Its incredible to visualize and to just ponder. Definitely one of the best albums of 2001 even with all the other great debuts of the year.
Rating:
5 This CD is simply amazing
From the Sunny Day Real Estate-ish sound of the first track, "Caring is Creepy," through the final track, "The Past and the Pending" listeners are treated to a simply amazing album. There are echos of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys running throughout this album, and that is a good thing. The songs stick your head with haunting catchiness. As I sit here writing this review, the lyrics from "Girl Inform Me" are echoing through my head. As you listen to this CD you are eager to hear the next track to see if it could possibly be as good as the one you are listening too. If are sick of all the Strokes-Hives-Vines-White Stripes garage rock that is dominating the indie scene, check this CD out.
Rating:
5 Undeniably dear to me
Can you channel someone that isn't even dead yet? James Mercer beats Sean O'Hagen at the Brian Wilson perfect-pop game. Why is it a bad thing that this album is heavily influenced by '60s pop? The Kinks, The Beach Boys, even Pink Floyd circa Sid Barret all blend together with beautifully reverbed, Friends of Dean Martinez style guitars. Girl Inform Me and The Celibate Life are amazing, heavily laced with Pet Sound-caliber melodies. New Slang recalls old Moody Blues, this song is one of my favorites on the album, with a heavy reverb-Spaghetti Western guitar fill. A few songs have an early '80s keyboard sound, but in a good way. In my opinion, pop music doesn't get any better than this. Lyrically, melodically, totally captivating. Must stop listening to this CD, must stop listening
Rating:
5 Great Pop Album!
This is one of the best albums I've heard in a very very long time. I heard of the Shins from all the hype they had created due to this album and its follow up Chutes too Narrow. Well, I had some money to blow and I went on down to my local record store to hear the next best thing to sliced bread and I found this one lone copy of Oh Inverted World and paid my money and left, not really expecting much. Boy, was I wrong, this album is like Syd Barrett(my most favorite artist ever), The Byrds and The Beach Boys all blended together into one blissful psychedelic mix. These songs are happy, friendly, subdued and of course a little drug induced. The lyrics are cryptic but lush on imagery and have a frank honest tone to them and their delivery by Mercer even futhers the impact. But the best thing about this album is the actual music in my opinion. Its like a warm cascading waterfall or a lazy summer day spent in the shade. It is definitley an odd ball on Sub Pop's catalog along side the grungy likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney but I give Sub Pop a thumbs up for change and for finding one of the best modern rock-pop acts ever. If you enjoyed this album I reccomend Chutes too Narrow and Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs.
Rating:
5 Absolutely Hooked.
On a lazy Sunday afternoon I went to my local record store, hoping to find something worth hearing. The Shins' 'Oh, Inverted World' happened to be set up at a listening station, so I took a listen, and immediately as 'Caring is Creepy' began, I knew I had struck gold! This CD is incredible...the first listen all the way through, I was more intrigued than anything. As I've listened to it more, it has grown on me more than most any CD can - all of the subtleties are coming through, and each song is absolutely satisfying. I wouldn't change a thing in any one of them. The Shins are (I've read reviews, and a lot of them will throw one or two of these names out, but I swear I thought this before I ever read a single review!) a combination of the Beach Boys, Weezer, and Simon and Garfunkel - 3 bands who I, personally, have in my collection and thoroughly enjoy. However, the Shins are totally unique, totally inspiring. Their sound is simple, yet catchy...and while it's mostly upbeat and uplifting, there is a definite hint of something more to them...a yearning, perhaps, a certain sadness or longing. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough - A+, it's without a doubt worth owning.
Rating:
5 I can't stop listening to this record, 8 months and counting
My old roommate put this album on one night last Febuary when I was unwinding after work. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I was also kinda stoned and alot of music sounds absolutely beautiful in that state. Over the course of the next few months however I found myself stealing it repeatedly from her CD case. Like my roommate, I fell in love with each individual song for a week or so until after a while nearly every song had been my favorite at one point. When I moved out of that apartment I immediately bought my own copy, and still play it atleast once a week. Wonderful melodies, some of the most vivid lyrics I've ever heard, (this is from a guy who usually thinks most lyrics aren't much more than foreground noise) and mind blowing little details-I love the "la la-la" refrain at the end of "One By One All Day" blend together to create a little album that listens like a good short story collection. Not too many albums have that quality. (Belle and Sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister" comes to mind, as does Ben Folds Five's Reinhold Messner record) If you like your pop gentle and passionate I implore you to buy this album immediately.
Rating:
5 better than I ever guessed!
For the past three days this album has been getting me high. It's just so perfect and tirelessly listenable, I'd say it's the best pop music since Toy Matinee. But whereas Toy Matinee is sort of polished uber-pop, technically speaking this is a little rougher around the edges, with a lo-fi yet clean aesthetic,. However, the subdued sound is a boon to their flawless craftsmanship. Every little factor is pure pop--the sparkling guitars, chillin' bass, cheerful & subtle synthesizers, and catchy beat, shining arrangements, and inescapable hooks--and the sum of its parts achieves musical nirvana. A few songs deviate from the straight pop music form: There's "Your Algebra", sounding gothic with its harpsichord, piano and cello; "The Past and Pending" has some melancholy extended soloing on French horn. Other than those twists, all of these songs are easily absorbed and the songcraft is so perfect it's NUTS--I can't get tired of listening to it for that reason. They also have a lot of clever, subtle touches which greatly enhance the sound. I don't know much about lyrics but I think these ones are pretty clever. All of these songs are really good. It can be the guitar power-pop drive with electronic bleeping on "Girl on the Wing", the cavity-inducing catchy popitude of "Know Your Onion!", or the wistful and twinkling guitar arpeggios on "One By One All Day". There are also plaintive, sparse ballads like "Weird Divide" and the evocative "New Slang", and clever instrumental touches like the kinked rhythm of "Girl Inform Me" and the strange electronic textures that trim the edges of many songs. But any embellishments are never pretentious and very effective in context. All of this is good enough to eat. Yum.
Rating:
5 Great Music Struggles in the Light of Day
Reading the amazon.com reviews of an album like this is a depressing experience. When I bought this there were maybe 10 reviews on here, all accurately pointing out that this is perfect, lush pop that doesn't sound a thing like anything on the radio or MTV. Now, the Shins are frighteningly close to becoming the "next big thing." I heard them in the Sopranos this past week and they are starting to be mentioned in the hype machine with the Strokes and the White Stripes, two good bands (although not in the Shins' league) who are being done a disservice by MTV and the rest of the establishment. And now, here come the nu-metal fans and the fans who still think Radiohead is relevant and of course they aren't going to understand this album.As for the album, here's my take: lush, eerie, very melodic pop, incorporating solid sixties influences -- Brian Wilson, Moody Blues, Kinks -- into a sound that is decidedly NOT retro. Every song sounds different, but the album has a musical coherence, that along with its short length makes it a great album to listen to in one sitting, whether lying in your room with your eyes closed or driving on a highway at night. It's a subtle and beautiful album, that is good on the first listen but requires repeated listening to develop a complete appreciation. So, please don't condemn it after half a listen.I don't want to sound like one of these undergound snobs, but I hope these guys don't get huge. I don't need this as background music on the Real World nor do I want to read Linkin Park fans saying this is wimpy or bland or whatever. But for people that love pop and all of the ways it has developed over the past forty years, this album will always be a treat.
Rating:
4 The ghost of Brian Wilson
One of the suprising alternative releases of the summer thus far. How do you describe their sound? The echo-heavy vocals from James Mercer sound errily like Brian Wilson and almost as inhuman and difficult to decifer as Michael Stipe. "Oh Inverted World" is like the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" sessions meets Syd Barrett. The psychedelic acoustic guitars and cascading harmony of overlapping vocalization is reminiscent of a scratchy Simon & Garfunkel album that you might remember listening just before you passed out after a long night smoking too many J's. The highlight of the album is "New Slang", a resigned ballad where Mercer sounds as if he were the voice of Brian Wilsons ghost while the band overlaps in a melody that will remind some of the Cocteau Twins. However, the Shins missed a big opportunity to include the hypnotic and adictive song "Sphagnum Esplanade" from their 7" limited record release. In doing so, "Oh Inverted World" falls just short of one of the best releases of the summer and we lose out on enjoying the best song they've cut in their brief career. Its hard to figure what they were thinking?
Rating:
5 A great album--all the way through
The Shins have managed to combine the best in pop sounds with everything from acoustic ballads, psychedelic sounds and pure rockers. While they maintain strong melodies and pop influence, there is still a hint of experimental sounds throughout this album-whether it's from odd keyboard approaches or wacky lyrics, the Shins have created an album that cannot be compared to anything but the Shins. For a debut release, it's nice to see a band being a band and not following current trends. This could very easily be one of the finest new bands I have discovered. No song runs over four minutes and not one track on this albums needs skipping past-they all work on all sorts of levels.The album's opening song, "Caring is Spooky" has such a great feeling to it. "Know Your Onion" is a great teenage rebel type song-talking about a "pimple and angry" kind of guy. The album's single "New Slang" is possibly one of the best acoustic songs I've ever heard-even though there is a great but simple electric guitar section too. And we cannot forget "Girl On The Wing"-easily the best song on the album. It rocks, has an interesting type of time signature, and a great, corky keyboard background.This is simply a great Indie Rock/Pop album from a band that will be making wavs. It will be interesting to see where they go next. Give it a try.
Rating:
5 The Sound Of Futility Inverted
There's a moment in the middle of The Shins' "The Weird Divide", when, as a slightly out of tune acoustic guitar echos an almost latino like line over the undistinct warble of an electric bass, you question how this album could be regarded with any artistic merit. The trick lies in the tracks before it. Actually, it lies in this track as well, and all eleven sparkling pop gems on The Shins' Oh Inverted World. The Shins delight in their own melancholy by giving it a sunny disguise; a sound so crisp and clean that it brings to mind California beaches and its most famous boys. No, these four young men are a long way from New Mexico. On "Girl Inform Me", the band's brooding frontman James Mercer warbles in a falsetto that gives Brian Wilson cause to cry.Tracks like "Girl On A Wing" and "Know Your Onion" take stock in today's retro rock craze, but its "New Slang" the album's centerpiece, that displays this band's true potential. To one of the most gorgeous melodies of the year, Mercer utters "New slang / When you notice the stripes / The dirt in your fries / Hope it's right when you die / Old and bony." In an age where art is defined by critical merit, the Shins use their one trick pony to stab at the people's hearts. This is the sound of a successful second album.
Rating:
5 Odd song titles, very good band
The songs of The Shins are a lot more interesting than the dull name they chose for themselves, but I guess that's neither here nor there. The point is, this is a thinking man's band who play irresistable pop tunes like a modern day Syd Barrett-era foursome. The tuneful sensibilites and song arrangements of The Shins mix perfectly with the beautifully poetic lyrics. They're a crafty band who sometimes possess a sort of quirky element amid all the easy hooks, as on "One by One All Day." Even better is "Weird Divide," the ultimate song Syd Barrett never wrote and sang - a song straight from the 60's, Syd reincarnated as a working musician. Basically, The Shins go about their songs in such a casual way, they make awesome music seem effortless, and they prove you don't have to kill your instrument to make a lasting impression. These songs, written by James Mercer, have the reflective outlook of someone who's seen a little of life. This is not an angst-ridden or angry album, and the style does not necessarily cater to anything that's currently trendy. "New Slang," the released single from this album, is an ultra-catchy ditty that would sound as great live as it does on disc - it's such a simple little song. It seems like The Shins shun the wild, fat-cat way of life. Lyrics in "Girl on the Wing" sweetly state "...;" "..." There's a haunting sort of 70's Pink Floyd vibe on "Your Algebra," but otherwise the album is pretty upbeat most of the time; even the mellow tunes have a light, feel-good aura to them. "Oh, Inverted World," which clocks in at only 33 minutes long, proves that excellent things can come in small, humble packages, even these days.
Rating:
5 I can't stop listening to this record, 8 months and counting
My old roommate put this album on one night last Febuary when I was unwinding after work. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I was also kinda stoned and alot of music sounds absolutely beautiful in that state. Over the course of the next few months however I found myself stealing it repeatedly from her CD case. Like my roommate, I fell in love with each individual song for a week or so until after a while nearly every song had been my favorite at one point. When I moved out of that apartment I immediately bought my own copy, and still play it atleast once a week. Wonderful melodies, some of the most vivid lyrics I've ever heard, (this is from a guy who usually thinks most lyrics aren't much more than foreground noise) and mind blowing little details-I love the "la la-la" refrain at the end of "One By One All Day" blend together to create a little album that listens like a good short story collection. Not too many albums have that quality. (Belle and Sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister" comes to mind, as does Ben Folds Five's Reinhold Messner record) If you like your pop gentle and passionate I implore you to buy this album immediately.
Rating:
4 Amazing, but too short!
Well, let me begin this otherwise stellar review with my largest gripe: at 33 minutes, this album is just too short! Of course, that's more a compliment than anything else, but seriously, it takes somewhat of an investment of time to get into the "world" of this album, and the ride seems to be over a little abruptly. On the other hand, the short playing time may encourage listeners to do the two things they must to fully enjoy this dense and complex work: listen carefuly to the whole thing in one sitting AND listen repaetedly. You see, this is thinking-feller's pop-music. The vocals are, at first listen, difficult to hear--- and once you can hear them, you'll need to make some personal sense out of the lyrics, which can lean toward the solopsistic and opaque. In fact, what might grab your attention first is the brilliant arrangements of fairly standard instruments--- in "One by One all Day" the interplay between nyoln-strung accoustic and burbling keyboard sounds fresh and compelling--- the dreamy intro to the single "new slang", equally ear-opening--- check out the gloomy french horn behind "the past and pending". This record inhabits sonic territory somewhere between "Smiley Smile" and "Belle and Sebastian", yet manages to sound utterly original. The lyrics and fractured narratives have more to do with Pavement or Will Oldham, yet are equally unique. No one sounds or writes songs quite like The Shins. That said, I would have appreciated the vocals a little more front-and-center and clear in the mix. It's a trick Stipe managed with REM without compromising his hipster-cred. What's the point of writing great lyrics if no one can hear them? These songs deserve better--- the "lost in the mix" vocals smack of a gimmick and there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING gimmicky about this music.It is indeed and album that pulls you into a world of sound an images, but you'll need to bring your imagination and (at times) patience along for the ride. Great, cerebral music for intrepid aural travelers...
Rating:
4 Well inverted
From the first moment that James Mercer wailed, "I think I'll go home and mull this over!", I knew that the Shins were a winning band. Their sound is clean and sharp, with a vaguely Brit-pop sound and the occasional easily-fixed flaw. Just buy a rhyming dictionary.Slipping in with the steady, sad "Caring is Creepy," the Shins present us with electronica-tinged pop ("One By One All Day"), brooding rock ("Know Your Onion!", "Girl Inform Me"), hard-edged ballads ("New Slang (When You Notice the Stripes)") and the soft, slow and acoustic ("The Past And Pending").If you took Neutral Milk Hotel and made it a little poppier and less weird, the result might be the Shins. They're a musical contradiction, melancholy and somewhat depressed in their wording but upbeat and shimmering in their music. It's crisp, solid, with plenty of drums, bass, the occasional French horn, cello or electronic wave. James Mercer's high clear voice is occasionally submerged by the music, but is pretty steady.Their songs hint at deception ("Girl Inform Me"), loneliness ("The Celibate Life") and just general unhappiness ("Caring is Creepy" -- look at that title!). The writing is a little surreal, but very evocative. The only way that the writing stumbles is with rhyming schemes. For example, the "throat/moat" rhyme in the first song was awkward in an otherwise amazing song. ("Before I cram it down my throat...broken up into bits in my moat")The debut of the Shins is a solid indie-rock effort, with a crisp feel and enjoyable songs. With a second album due in October, hopefully the Shins will iron out their wrinkles, overcome the sophomore slump, and dazzle audiences again.
Rating:
4 Toe Knee Chest Nut Nose Eye Love The Shins
The Shins are destined for much greater notoriety than they've yet acheived. "Oh, Inverted World" is a simply, consistently, but creatively produced album of Beach Boys influenced songs full of melodies that are repeatedly both singable and surprising. The ability of the band to lead you on and then suckerpunch you is remniscent (in recent memory) of The Strokes. These songs aren't quite as catchy and hooky as the songs on Is This It, but what they lack in hooks they make up for in beauty. In fact, the creative songwriting and retro production is about as far as the similarities go between the two bands. The Shins take a more mellow, acoustic, textured approach to their art. Don't be misled by comparisons to the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, Simon and Garfunkle, and other late sixties groups. Although those comparisons are valid, Oh, Inverted World combines the sounds of Brian Wilson and Paul Simon with a post-Nirvana/Radiohead perspective that results in a fresh and original sound. A true gem of an album.
Rating:
4 Awesome CD!
At first, I was a little bit quirky about buying this CD, because I based everything on what I have heard. I had heard Caring Is Creepy once before, and enjoyed it, so I decided to give the CD a chance. From what I had heard, New Slang was supposed to be the best song ever. I listened to it, and it definitely wasn't what I expected. I still loved it. If you like soft alternative rock, you seriously should buy this CD. First listen to the demos and make sure you like it.
Rating:
4 They hit gold with the Garden State soundtrack
I love The Shins now. Have I always? No. I heard great things about them surrounding the release of Garden State, and with mild trepidation, decided to try out some of their music. I was very impressed and bought this album....and then later on I purchased Chutes Too Narrow.Both are great albums, but O.I.W, is such an easy listen, with no songs I skip over. They're all feel good songs (aside from the rather ominous, Your Algebra), and I can assure you, you will feel good after listening to them.
Rating:
4 They remind me of...
They remind me of R.E.M., I don't know why. Whatever, I really like the Shins, they're cool.
