Shin Splints: The Painful State of a Once Revered Band
Paul Fowler
Several years ago, James Mercer ruthlessly fired every single one of his longtime band mates from The Shins, raising serious questions about the future of the darling little indie-pop band from Portland. Mercer dabbled in some side projects, announced that he would no longer be recording under the storied Sub-Pop label and hired a new cast of musicians for The Shins, all while trying to convince everyone that he wasn’t a raging asshole.
When the follow up to 2007’s Grammy-nominated Wincing the Night Away was finally announced, fans were quick to forgive, and we immediately started waiting for Port of Morrow like lonely teenagers desperate to fall in love. When the album finally came out, many experienced the same letdown that every lonely teenager eventually goes through – some things just can’t live up to the colossal expectations we have for them.
It’s certainly difficult to listen to Port of Morrow without thinking back to The Shins’ early work. The Shins have always had an undeniable pop appeal, and even through the lo-fi production of their debut album, they sounded like a band destined for the mainstream.
Port of Morrow dials up the power-pop, resulting in an album that feels like it’s gunning straight for the Top 40. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Port of Morrow is smooth, infectious pop music perfect for a sunny spring afternoon.
Unfortunately, the album does feel slightly empty. The Shins used to make music that sounded effortless. On Chutes Too Narrow, every time Mercer opened his mouth, a hook that would make Paul McCartney jealous poured out. On Port of Morrow, every sound and melody seems carefully calculated, and although the results are pleasing, the album is missing the breezy spontaneity that made Mercer famous.
Mercer has a rather interesting place in the world of indie rock. Ever since the famous scene in The Garden State, where Natalie Portman claims that listening to The Shins will “change your life,” the band has become synonymous with early-2000s indie rock.
Although it would be a gross exaggeration to say The Shins changed my life, like many people in their early 20s, The Shins were one of the first “indie rock” bands I ever truly fell in love with. Any disappointment with Port of Morrow is likely an unpleasant byproduct of this.
As we develop close emotional ties to music, our expectations for new material balloon out of control. With a five-year delay between albums, expectations for the new Shins release were massive. It was simply impossible for Port of Morrow to deliver.
When I put on Port of Morrow, I was hoping for the same rush of energy that hit me the first time I listened to The Shins sophomore album, Chutes Too Narrow. I was desperate to fall in love with Port of Morrow, but I just couldn’t.
It’s not that it’s a bad album. In fact, Port of Morrow is pretty enjoyable. Some would even argue it’s great. But after Mercer fired everyone in the band and made me wait for five years, I wanted something that would change my life.
