The Shins Chutes Too Narrow on LP

Pop Bliss in Glorious Analog

After wowing critics with their 60s-flavored debut, the Shins returned with a 2003 sophomore follow-up that is more emotionally and musically complex, with leader James Mercer's vocals and lyrics assuming a more prominent position. All of the band's trademarks are here: Britpop, chamber pop, indie rock, and harmonic pop colliding together into a supremely melodic mixture that will have any bystander humming for days.

Produced by Phil Ek (Modest Mouse), the album possesses a clean but natural feel, adding a bit of muscle to the Shins' seamless arrangements. Hear why in Golden State, actress Natalie Portman declares the band "will change your life."

"The band's arrangements are concise, yet singer James Mercer's melodies wander -- calling for repeated plays -- as odd lyrical phrases pop up over mutating guitars and keyboards. Getting intimate without giving away their secrets, the Shins walk a fine line between familiarity and mystery." --Barry Walters, Rolling Stone, October 2003

   1.    Kissing the Lipless (Mercer) - 3:19
   2.    Mine's Not a High Horse (Mercer) - 3:20
   3.    So Says I (Mercer) - 2:48
   4.    Young Pilgrim (Mercer) - 2:47
   5.    Saint Simon (Mercer) - 4:25
   6.    Fighting in a Sack (Mercer) - 2:26
   7.    Pink Bullets (Mercer) - 3:53
   8.    Turn a Square (Mercer) - 3:11
   9.    Gone for Good (Mercer) - 3:13
 10.    Those to Come (Mercer) - 4:24