The Shins: Rough, edgy, urgent, with unfinished appeal
By Jeff Renfro
"Chutes Too Narrow", The Shins' follow-up to 2001's critically acclaimed "Oh, Inverted World," is a light-hearted, fun album, full of simple melodies borrowed from 1960s British rock. The album's short running time allows the simplicity of the songs to remain charming, without becoming monotonous. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are the perfect companion to the light melodies.
The Shins (James Russell Mercer-vocals/guitar, Martin Lesley Crandall-keyboards, David Yanul Hernandez-bass, and Jesse Carruth Sandoval-drums) recorded the album in the basement of Mercer's Portland, Oregon home. The album has a slightly higher production value than "Oh, Inverted World," but still maintains the homemade feel of the previous record.
The first single on the album "So Says I," is an energetic song that combines a breezy melody with a surf-rock groove. Mercer's whining vocals set the tone for the song. They convey a certain sense of longing, while being whiny enough to remain entertainingly immature. The vocals dictate the melody of the song, rather than letting the instruments take the lead.
At its best, the album sounds like a lost Brian Wilson album. On "Kissing the Lipless," the song opens with quick hand-claps, followed by a simple "Whoo!" The song features the lyric "You tested your mettle/ with goat skin and pedals/ you're kissing the lipless/ away." This is indicative of The Shins' tendency to reveal their themes through veiled, sometimes nonsensical musings.
The highlight of the album is the track "Fighting in a Sack." Although the album is sometimes bogged down by its resistance to complicated instrumentation or rhythms, "Fighting in a Sack" breaks that tendency by speeding up the tempo. The guitar and keyboard trade off as the primary instrument of the song. The keyboard sections feature a slurred, bleeding melody that offsets the precision of the melody of the vocals. The guitars come in to match the efficiency of the vocals. The whining lyrics and guitar notes mirror each other and create a sound that is both urgent and eerie.
The presence of up-tempo tracks, such as "Fighting in a Sack" and "So Says I" in some ways overshadow the slower, more pensive songs. The quicker tracks are without a doubt the best songs on the album; it leaves the listener wondering why The Shins do not push the tempo more often.
"Chutes Too Narrow" is a fun, breath of fresh air for fans of indie rock. The do-it-yourself attitude that is the backbone of the album gives it a certain charm, but leaves the listener wondering how much better the album would be if the band had experimented more with tempo.
Grade: B