The Shins: 'Port of Morrow'

Port of Morrow is a bit of a conundrum. On some levels, it represents a sea change for the band, perhaps appropriate given that “the Shins” is now nothing more than James Mercer and a bunch of other guys. At the same time, more so than either Chutes or Wincing, this album calls to mind the Shins of Oh, Inverted World. There’s something in its softly psychedelic echoes, ghostly whorls of keyboard, and subtly plaintive tones that feels almost like a return to form, even as the totality of the sound takes definitively new shape. The new geometry eschews the Shins’ early penchant for rounded corners and fuzzy silhouettes, casting everything in too-sharp focus. So crisp and clean it sounds, at points, manufactured. Even Mercer’s voice, the peculiarly pitched stalwart of the band’s persona, takes on too smooth a tone, feeling almost like it’s the victim of sonic airbrushing. Regardless, this is not a charmless album by any measure. Mercer’s sense of phrasing is impeccable, as always, and hooks abound. “Rifle’s Spiral” and “Bait and Switch,’ in particular, feel like old favorites, immediate and comfortable in equal measure. If that’s what happens when the Shins turn in its indie cred, slipping into a pair of “adult alternative” loafers, that’s alright by me.

★★ ½ (out of 5 stars)