Caught in the Carousel

The Shins

Wincing the Night Away
Sub Pop

The Shins

It seems like you can't watch a movie or television show these days without hearing the Shins. While a lot of that has to do with Natalie Portman's glowing review of them in State, their music just happens to work pretty well as an aural background to the action onscreen. With the Shins' third release, Wincing the Night Away, not much has changed. From the moment you first hear the ethereal "Sleeping Lesson" or the upbeat "Australia," which starts off with singer James Mercer's cheerful "la la la's," it's clear the Shins' recent success hasn't made them lose a step. As with their previous work, what makes Wincing so hard to put down is the compelling contrast between their dreamy arrangements and the dark, twisted lyrics Mercer uses to describe the human experience in life and love. Songs like "Sea Legs" and "Turn On Me" conjure images of death, telling of both a dog that "slides underneath a train" and rabbits that should run because "mincing you is fun." The Shins are masters at creating an alternate world, but the one here is more than just a tad macabre, as it's populated by ugly children, zombies, and low-flying buzzards. Not only that, but the ever-morbid Mercer sings about "gouging his eyes out" and carving his face off in "A Comet Appears." In "Red Rabbit," he explains his penchant for all of this new mischief when he confesses, "I might just give the old dark side a try." From the sound of album, it seems he already has. However, throughout all of this metaphoric darkness, Mercer and his bandmates maintain their bright, airy sound, making it still possible for even the most hardened indie rock malcontent to still imagine two lovers coming together and kissing at the end of a film. Wincing The Night Away still makes you feel like you're floating on a cloud; it just happens to be raining at the same time.

—Jessica Simons