The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

There are some albums that never lose their magic. I fell in love with The Shins after hearing my friend play this album to me when it was brand new, but whenever I return to this album it still has that same magical sound. The Shins already became quite well-known in the indie circles after the first album, but it took another album and the film Garden State to make them really break. This was the first album to me personally and thus it's also the most important one. There are some excellent songs on other Shins albums as well, but none of the other albums are as perfect from start to finish. I also really like the album cover. It reminds me of computer games of my childhood, such as The Day of the Tentacle. This cartoonish psychedelia fits in with the music perfectly. When I saw this album later on on vinyl, I was a bit jealous, because it really does look glorious.



In the early 2000's The Shins were considered alternative music, but basically it's going back to the roots of pop music. This is the kind of slightly psychedelic and melodic pop music that bands played in the 60's. There's something about this simplicity of sounds and complex melodies that I really love. James Mercer's naturally breaking voice is also very human and thus very endearing and relatable. The sounds on this second album are a bit better produced than those on the first album that was a bit more lo-fi. I think in this case it's a good thing. Even though I also love the first album, I feel like the punkier sounds on this album sort of perfected the sound of the Shins.

The album starts with claps and acoustic guitar in the song Kissing the Lipless. It's a great song to start the album with, because it starts off so quiet but builds up gradually with some electric guitar punches until it all explodes with Mercer's raw yelling. The following song Mine's Not a High Horse has a great rolling groove that erupts into a nicely flowing chorus which is really catchy. So Says I is one of my favourite Shins songs. It has slightly heavier sounds than most of the songs but despite the sharp guitar riffs this song has a great melody that has many nice hooks and complexities. Young Pilgrims is more influenced by Americana folk and country. It reminds me of many early Wilco songs. Saint Simon is one of the best songs on this album. I really like the baroque pop style and the complex melodies in the song. Fighting in a Sack is probably the most aggressive song on the album. It has a fast tempo and a punk attitude, but still there are some absolutely adorable vocal parts close to the chorus. Pink Bullets is another Americana song with a beautiful melody and some hypnotic guitar stylings. Turn a Square sounds a bit like Southern rock, but with a soft and endearing approach. Gone for Good is an outright country song with steel guitars and all. I absolutely adore the melody in the chorus that turns the song's mood from happy to longing. The album ends with a quiet and hypnotic song Those to Come which is quite different from other songs on this album. It's only played on one acoustic guitar.

As you might expect from this kind of endearing hipster band from Portland, The Shins have absolutely beautiful music videos. In the music video for Saint Simon, the band is playing their instruments in the middle of a forest. When the band is walking through the forest it fills up with tons of butterflies. The scenes in this video make me really want to visit the Northwest of the US. In the absolutely beautiful part of the song where the band is singing in harmonies, their faces appear surrounded by butterflies in a formation that must be a reference to the video fo Bohemian Rhapsody where the faces of Queen members circulate each other.

It's difficult to explain why The Shins is such an important band to me. I guess I'm just a fool for simple pop instrumentation and sinuous melodies. I was really disappointed with the last album by The Shins because it felt like they had finally sold out and gave in to sounds of the modern pop music and as a result they lost that magic of their early albums. Fortunately we have these early albums to remind us of a time when The Shins was one of the greatest bands around.

Listen to the album on Spotify.