There’s no telling how our top-secret-industry-ninja-spies landed this one on our desk, but we have been listening to The Shins‘ new album, ‘Wincing the Night Away’ all afternoon, and it’s safe to say we’re in love with it. There are definitely remnants of the sound we heard in ‘Chutes Too Narrow,’ but there is a matured natural progression present in ‘Wincing the Night Away’ that shows us that the Shins are at the top of their game. Lyrically, the album is top-notch, and several songs provide a beat-laden, almost-experimental sound that simultaneously sustains and impresses the ear. ‘Phantom Limb’ is a stunner of a song and will be the first single to be released– that should be sometime next week, so keep an ear out. Other favorite tracks of ours are ‘Sleeping Lessons’ for it’s distant, xylophone-based background and ‘Sea Legs,’ for its Beck-esque beat. Look for this album to make a big splash when it’s released in full on January 23rd by Sub Pop Records. It is my estimation that this album will springboard The Shins to the top– and I will definitely be buying the album to show my support.
