The Shins

The Profile

The Shins are an American indie rock band led by singer-songwriter James Mercer, formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their debut Oh, Inverted World (2001, Sub Pop) and subsequent albums established them as melodic, sixties-influenced indie-pop auteurs.

Frontman James Mercer; debut album Oh, Inverted World released on Sub Pop (2001). Reviews note influences including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Byrds and references to lo-fi/sixties-tinged psychedelia. Port Of Morrow featured lineup changes noted in reviews (departures of Marty Crandall and Jesse Sandoval; additions including Ron Lewis, Eric D. Johnson, Joe Plummer).

DeBaser reviews consistently praise James Mercer’s melodic songwriting and the band’s sixties-inflected indie-pop. Oh, Inverted World is often singled out as a debut classic; Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away are noted milestones. Later releases (Port Of Morrow, Heartworms) are viewed as solid continuations with lineup and production changes.