James Mercer’s reconstituted Shins are getting ready to release Port Of Morrow, their first album since 2007′s Wincing The Night Away, and they’ve finally let us hear a song from that album. “Simple Song” is a chugging midtempo joint with huge ahh-ahh backing vocals, and it more or less lives up to its name. Mercer, I’d wager, has been spending some time with the first two Band Of Horses albums lately. Give it a listen below.
Port Of Morrow is out in March on Columbia/Aural Apothecary.
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Is today a holiday or something? Cheese and Rice! All this great news and new music
For real, the internet is making work fucking impossible today.
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When do The Shins enter ‘can-do-no-wrong’ territory?
This is an excellent track and my expectations just shot through the roof.
I’m feeling pretty optimistic about this year’s music.
don’t get me wrong this is tittybitties, but doesn’t get me as jazzed in the ol’ pantaloons as phantom limb did.
Maybe I’m living in the past, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t a comfy sofa to sit in.
I’m not thumbing down the sentiment, but I’m definitely thumbing down the use of “jazzed in the ol’ pantaloons”.
you are dead inside.
Come on, I’m sure you can find a more whimsical way to express that, can’t you?
Like, “You’re gloomy in the gut-a-roni”. That’s just off the top of my head.
you are a unicorn molester.
better.
So if you were a girl and you WERE jazzed in the panatloons…wouldn’t you then have a Phantom Limb?
philosoraptor.jpg
I don’t know what to think until Zach Braff tells me what to think.
Zach Brach: “It’ll change your life.”
Garden State 2!
Love it!!
Just a simple and lovely song!
No, it’s called Simple Song.
Looks like the Shins can still change your life.
no doubt – just quit my job and left my wife and kids.
so, “Yes”, technically I guess I am single! This all feels so new and fresh, but scary – definitely scary. Sometimes though, you need a little fear to feel alive :)
like pumpin without a jimmyhat
THIS IS THE SINGLE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
Really? You’ve got to collect some better days, man. Go outside maybe?
I enjoy the excitement over a new Shins song, but really?
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People are entitled to their opinions. It’s when they don’t provide reasons on why something sucks that their comment is irrelevant
I downvote people when they don’t use proper grammar.
theyres to meny vaginas on this site.
What an awesome chorus. This album is going to be one of my favorites of the year
how can you possibly know that?
Right? The comparison doesn’t work musically, but remember when Yonkers came out and everyone said “This is going to be the best rap album ever” or “album of 2011,” and then it was released and the collective “whoopsies” ensued?
The Shins haven’t let me down yet and this song is terrific, so it seems like less of a gamble than Tyler, The Creator is. If I was putting all my money on Lana Del Rey having the best album of the year that would maybe compare better.
Good point. Let me think of a better example… Of Montreal’s “Nonpareil Of Favor” made me think Skeletal Lamping would be amazing, but whoooooopsies on that one.
However, Paralytic Stalks is really good. Feels kind of like what the Flaming Lips did after their one turd in the last 10 years (At War with the Mystics): strip down the production and release something more “raw.”
Dude, I just like The Shins. No need to take time out of your busy message board perusing to dissect my hyperbole.
They never let me down! And their deluxe pre-order packages are pretty freaking awesome! I love their 1/4″ reel-to-reel one. Now all I need is something to actually play it on lol
“Mercer, I’d wager, has been spending some time with the first two Band Of Horses albums lately.”
To be fair, this should probably be the other way around. I love BOH, but the Shins wrote the book on that sound in indie music.
Tom could wager that. He’d probably lose, but he can wager.
This is quintessential Shins. Hearing a Band of Horses influence means Tom probably never gave Mercer and co much ear time before.
Right? Band of Horses ripped the Shins, not the other way around.
That’s a good band name, Ripped Shins.
I prefer Band of Shins
I”m a little depressed. James Mercer’s voice is too lovely to over-produce.
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This doesnt sound like BOH at all? It sounds like The Shins!
Total Lana Del Rey ripoff.
(I’ve decided since stereogum has to mention her every day, then so should I.)
i love the shit out of this song! i love the shins!!!!
Not a bad song, doesn’t pull up any trees, but not bad. For some reason though, on the verses in the first half of the song with that guitar chug I kept thinking Blondie. What’s the song? Erm, Danny, Danny, I’m so in love with you….yeah that one. I listened again twice….and it’s still there. Maybe its those pills I took earlier. Ah well.
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I expected it to be catchier. Then I listened to it a second time. Catched.
How in the world does this sound anything like Band Of Horses?…or sound like Mercer has been listening to them…
Sounds to me like he’s been listening to some David Bowie.
Really, though, I can’t imagine any connection to Band Of Horses…this one wasn’t even produced by Phil Ek.
I think he’s been listening to The Who’s “Who Are You,” track 7 “Guitar and Pen.” But I likes it a lot!
Strangely I do hear The Who references… Sadly, James Mercer’s beefed-up, slightly vocoderised vocals has less impact for me… Wait for the Pinball Wizard cover… http://auralfood.blogspot.com/
I miss the rawness and excitement of pre phantom limb. This sounds forced. Generic even. Contrived. Terrible. Down vote me if you agree.
I see what you did there.
Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how this site’s toe-curlingly pretentious, fuck-wit regulars can so enthusiastically endorse such contrived, generic shit. You’ve heard this type of musical detritus many times before, so why the commotion?
You’re all dreadfully dull human beings.