By Matt Watson '07
Reviewer

Children may fall asleep at will, but one of the curses of adulthood is the insidious strike of insomnia that can render sleepless the most peaceful of minds. The Shins’ most recent success, Wincing the Night Away, grows from and details front man James Mercer’s chronic insomnia with ethereal melodies that suggest both the gloom and vague elation that one might encounter alone and awake, pining for unconsciousness.

Critics praise the new album as successfully experimental and delightfully unpretentious, given the Shins’ post-Garden State fame, but fans should approach the work with caution and an open ear. This is not Chutes Too Narrow: Redux. This is not a cash-in stuffed with more of the same.

Where Oh Inverted World! and “New Slang” in particular represent the view of someone on the outside looking in, hoping for a taste of life on the inside, Wincing the Night Away seeks meaning in isolation without reference to the world that “New Slang”’s outsider “might be doomed never to find.” Lyrically, Mercer explores obscure metaphors that defy the understanding of the most literary of listeners, and in his personal commentaries on the album he has consistently ignored requests for guidance. There is no cooperative connection between singer and listener; each is alone, and the album is successful for exactly that reason.

“Sleeping Lessons,” the album’s lead track (and alternate title), continues the Shins’ tradition of stellar openers. The song begins with what sounds like a ghostly vibraphone scale, which repeats and amplifies as the song progresses, ultimately culminating in a high energy guitar riff that brings the album in with a bang. Mercer advises himself in his distinct, delicate tone that “If the old guard still offend / They got nothing left on which you depend / So enlist every ounce of your bright blood / And off with their heads.” Having signaled his intention, the following tracks give flesh to the theme; convention, even as employed by the Shins’ previous albums, has no place in their most recent effort.

For proof, look no further than the album’s first (and possibly only) single, the masterful “Phantom Limb.” This airy, percussion-driven track creates a musical texture so pleasant that it’s immaterial that no one can divine what the song is actually about. Luckily, Mercer told us; “Phantom Limb” is the story of two lesbians in boarding school. It is otherwise indecipherable, and it is the flagship for the album, convention be damned.

For Shins fans who might be uneasy about the degree to which Wincing the Night Away departs from the band’s particular sound, “Sea Legs” is the most poignant case study. Synthesizers dominate the melody with an electronic, pulsing sound, and the track lacks the acoustic delicacy that characterizes so much of the Shins’ catalogue. That being said, “Sea Legs” is a standout on the album as much for its ambitious stylistic departures as for its lyrics: “Girl, if you’re a seascape / I’m a listing boat for the thing carries every hope / I invest in a single lie.”

Where the album falters is really no surprise. Mercer relies upon complex metaphors and non-vernacular language when crafting his lyrics, and in some instances he overreaches. For example, in “Red Rabbits,” an otherwise well-constructed track, Mercer croons the line “Out of a gunnysack for red rabbits / Into the crucible to be rendered an emulsion,” which, to be fair, smacks the ears as a bit contrived. Out of respect for the man, we’ll have to overlook the song’s final line, “We’ve pissed on too many good intentions held by clever sprites / And they’re all standing up for their rights,” and accept the imagery as some unfortunate byproduct of Mercer’s insomnia.

Overall, the Shins deserve considerable respect for Wincing the Night Away. Faced with unreasonable expectations, they delivered a piece of work that offers a powerful new sound without sacrificing the charm that made their previous efforts great.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Shins or are hesitant to buy the whole album without a representative listen, I recommend “Sleeping Lessons,” “Phantom Limb,” and “Sea Legs.” These three songs give a strong impression of the depth and direction of the entire work.

To everyone, particularly those who purchase Wincing the Night Away, I encourage you to give every track a few listens before judgment. No song goes out the way it comes in, and once you adapt to the sound, it’s clear that none of the Shins’ albums are meant to be stopping points. They are simply markers of the band’s maturity, proficiency, and more completely realized creativity.