Port of Morrow

The Shins

I feel that calling this a Shins album is misleading. Though Port of Morrow is still technically the fourth album released by The Shins, bassist Dave Hernandez, keyboardist Marty Crandall, and drummer Jesse Sandoval were relieved of duty by singer/guitarist James Mercer prior to recording the album and hired a plethora of musicians to help record the songs. Incidentally the album is also the “band’s” first record on Aural Apothecary, Mercer’s record label. So yeah, big changes and a fresh start here.

Produced by Greg Kurstin and Mercer himself, Port of Morrow features an expansion of their previously humble sound for The Shins in favor of a more electronic sound that Mercer established with side-project Broken Bells two years ago. This decision does pay off on certain songs, like on opening number “The Rifle’s Spiral” which contains some solid keyboard interludes accompanied by a drumbeat that keeps the listener intrigued. If there’s one thing that Mercer has always retained, it’s his ability to craft a well-written song. His falsetto voice would have you think that this is a feel-good track, but his lyrics suggest otherwise with references to a man with a death wish not just for himself, but for others. This theme of beauty mingled with darkness has always been present in The Shins’ songs and thankfully remains present here.

Love is another inspiration for Mercer on Port of Morrow, especially on lead single “Simple Song” which he has gone on record that it was inspired both by his recent marriage and the departure of former bandmates Sandoval and Crandall. One of the album’s best tracks, “Fall of ’82”, serves as a letter of thanks to someone who helped the singer conquer depression during his youth, yet still ends on a somber note when not all is healed. Beauty mingled with darkness at work again.

In what might be the most well written song on the album in “No Way Down”, Mercer takes perspective from both sides in the Occupy movement and suggests that maybe not all of the 1% are money-grubbers, but rather they are worried about what is happening in the lyrics “Is there no way down from this peak to solid ground/without having our gold teeth pulled from our mouths?” and even takes an apologetic tone when he utters “Get used to dust in your lungs” to the sick and the young.

Though not every track is a gem on The Shins’ fourth album, this isn’t necessarily a bad collection of songs. Port of Morrow is a far cry from what we’ve grown used to from the indie rockers, but I suppose that has to do with change in both the band’s lineup and the direction that James Mercer is moving in as a musician. Thankfully, he is still able to write brilliant songs to keep fans appeased.

*Notice I went this whole review without mentioning Garden State.

Recommended tracks: “Simple Song”, “No Way Down”, “Fall of ’82”