It's that nagging thorn that a successful band always has to face. Have a classic record, then you have to follow it up. Fleetwood Mac went from Rumours to Tusk, Alanis Morissette went from Jagged Little Pill to Supposed Infatuation Junkie whatever, and there are many other examples of how hard it is to strike gold twice.
In the case of the Shins, this pressure formula works in a different form. It's not like they ever sold 25 million copies, to suddenly plunge to two million on the next record. However, one could argue that they may have been placed in a similar predicament. Remember the line "The Shins Will Change Your Life," anyone? That may be one of many reasons why frontman James Mercer has a wicked case of insomnia. The pressure is on.
Lets face it. Although Oh, Inverted World didn't hold the #1 slot on the Billboard album charts, it's already being touted as a classic benchmark for this decade. Chutes Too Narrow wasn't bad either. So wheel in the subconscious question that's burning away, in the back of every fans mind.
Will this new record be as good as "Oh, Inverted World?"
It's naturally going to haunt these guys for the rest of their careers. Hopefully critics and the public will see the third album, Wincing The Night Away for what it truly is. A more adventurous, slightly grown up version of the original thing. It's not anything groundbreaking, but it's evident that the band wants to evolve and they handle the subtle changes well.
Highlights include "Australia," "Phantom Limb" and "Turn On Me." Get it!
The Shins-Australia mp3
The Shins-Black Wave mp3 both from Wincing The Night Away
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