The Shins
Wincing The Night Away

THE REVIEW

Simplicity is a virtue.

The statement is not meant to be definitive, but after listening to the new work by The Shins ("Wincing the Night Away"), I am convinced that, deep down, the elementary things are often the best.

My judgment can undoubtedly be 'induced' by the heavy crush I had on the band's previous work from Albuquerque ("Chutes Too Narrow"): a small masterpiece worthy of the best British pop school. Today, after about three years, I have to confirm: James Russell Mercer, the mastermind behind The Shins, is a melodic genius. Thirteen tracks for a little over forty minutes of music. Thirteen episodes that exude talent and the ability, now entirely lost in the current music industry, to craft songs.

Compared to the previous album, the Shins focus on darker sounds. Less California, more autumn in Maine, I would say. And it is precisely with the opening track "Sleeping Lessons" that the band declares their intentions: a slow and nocturnal intro, a "galloping" finale complete with "delayed" Beatles-style drums. The references remain the same: Lennon & Co., Wilson & Co., but the four from New Mexico know how to surprise, and the album's tracks include tributes to Xtc ("Sea Legs" would not have looked out of place on Orange and Lemons), the Violent Femmes, and all that "melodic" school made in the USA, with Modest Mouse being the main representatives.

"Wincing the Night Away" is undoubtedly a step forward compared to the previous work. A mature and, in some ways, ambitious album. An ambition that goes hand in hand with the classical harmony of simple things: however, in my opinion, it's not a deliberately old-fashioned operation but, rather, confirmation that pop craftsmanship still triumphs over prepackaged mainstream.