Shins Wincing The Night Away CD

With their music referred to as "life-changing" in the popular 2004 film GARDEN STATE, the Shins, already a revered indie-rock band, recorded their third Sub Pop studio album under the weight of high expectations. Finally, in early '07, the group emerged with the strikingly ambitious and accomplished WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY.

On the opening "Sleeping Lessons," woozy keyboard lines and the wavering vocals of frontman James Mercer immediately announce WINCING as a departure, but slowly the drifting atmospherics give way to a guitar-driven rave-up. Much of the record echoes this more expansive sound, with the shimmering "Phantom Limb" hitting a cavernous crescendo, and the dreamy, synth-laden "Red Rabbits" bordering on ambient territory. Of course, the Shins haven't forsaken their knack for pop-perfect tunes, as best evinced by the exuberant "Australia," proving that they can temper newfound experimentalism with the quirky, easy-going charm that garnered them attention in the first place.

Audio Mixer: Joe Chiccarelli.

Recording information: Avast! 2, Seattle, WA; Supernatural Sound, Oregon City, OR; The Aural Apothecary, Portland, OR.

Illustrator: Robert Pierce Mercer.

The Shins: James Mercer (various instruments, programming); Dave Hernandez (guitar); Marty Crandall (bass guitar); Jesse Sandoval.

Personnel: James Mercer (vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, synthesizer, percussion); Chris Funk (lap steel guitar, bouzouki, hammer dulcimer); Paloma Griffin (violin); Marty Crandall (organ, synthesizer, percussion); Jesse Sandoval (drums); Anita Robinson (background vocals).

Rolling Stone (p.71) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The melodies are very nearly on par with the curlicues and knockout drops of the band's breakthrough, and Mercer is still singing so lithe and refined you'd think Ray Charles had never existed."
Spin (p.p.87) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[W]istful....WINCING is a purposefully low-impact affair. On the gorgeous finale, 'A Comet Appears,' Mercer picks at a nimble guitar line like it's 3 a.m...."
Q (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[S]uper-smart pop music the way they used to make it 20 years ago....The Shins deliver anthems to little people in troubled times. Life-changing, for sure."
Uncut (p.72) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[E]verything is awash in shimmering production, harmonic flourishes and unexpected textures."
Alternative Press (p.109) - "[T]he bright points are plenty bright..."
Q (Magazine) (p.87) - Ranked #08 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "There are twists, but no clutter, just a gentle lyricism leaving every song lie from the inside. WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY is, on its own quiet terms, a little landmark."