To describe this album release as "highly anticipated" may be an understatement. As The Shins left the world hanging after the amazingness that was Wincing the Night Away it took 5 long years to release Port of Morrow. This long wait has created lots of buzz over what James Mercer could create next. Which I find when there is this much anticipation over an album, it often falls short of what is expected. Port of Morrow is a prime example of this. It is a solid album, but nothing monumental when looking back at what The Shins have already blessed our ears with.
The most noticeable difference on Port of Morrow compared to The Shins repertoire is how conventional many of the songs are. It was inevitable there would be some sound changes due to an entirely new band behind lead singer/guitar/brains of The Shins, James Mercer, but I found the album to be less innovative than I expected. When played as a whole it sounds like a solid album should, but sadly there is not one song that I can imagine breaking the glass of any hipster's wide-rimmed glasses. One thing I did notice about Mercer's lyrics on Port of Morrow was more of a lyrical vision of which I could comprehend. The short and sweet 10 song album will no doubt please every Shins fan out there, but may not convert any new Shins-aficionados. If you want a quick fix, check out my favorite songs listed here:
Notable tracks: "It's Only Life", "For A Fool", "No Way Down" & "September".
Personally, I am not to hard to please; which is why I would give this album two thumbs up! It's all I could have asked for and more from James Mercer and the gang. I will be seeing them in May and cannot wait to hear this album performed live!
Give it a listen and tell me what you think!
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