Label: Sub Pop
Release Date: 03/12/07
Rating:
A difficulty surrounding a band like The Shins is that they appeal to far too wide an audience. They draw more or less equally amongst the born-in-the-gutter indie-aficionados, the fashion-core kids, the bandwagon jumpers, the college kids, the dudes, the druggies, the adults and the wee little kiddies. As a result, with any new material The Shins put out, there will be a clamor of disagreement, difference and repetition of opinions. 'Wincing The Night Away', parent album to 'Sealegs', is at the crux of such back-and-forth-ing among fans and new listeners. 'Sealegs' itself, therefore, will either ridiculously please or grossly annoy, depending on what camp you feel most comfortable in.
The new emphasis coming from bassist Dave Hernandez gets the groove on, carrying incredibly light twangs and slides of guitar, crunches and faint clicks of percussion and the occasional emotive swathe of strings. The warbling hook of the chorus and perfect, strange backing harmonies revisits what The Shins do best, while the choice of synthesizer sounds and off-melody will pleasantly surprise anyone who thought The Shins were just about acoustica-pop. 'Sealegs' has the band taking a few risks that happen to deepen their sound, adding good, odd flesh to the usual pop bones.
The problems with the single lay dormant in its strengths. That pan-pipe-like synth could piss off those manly frat boys, while the haunting vocal hooks could alienate the oldest and youngest fans alike. There is nothing particularly striking about 'Sealegs' - it is not another runaway hit, but it is a progression, and frankly, wherever they're headed is probably a place worth waiting for.
Daniel Good
The Shins Official Site
The Shins Myspace
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