1. j30

   9

   The Shins Port of Morrow is triumphant return. Unlike Radiohead's TKOL and Red Hot Chili Peppers' I'm With You, it's one of those albums you look forward to months in advance and it doesn't disappoint.… Collapse

   • Helpful? 4 of 4 users said Yes.
2. cidersuspect

   8

   I've returned to this album recently after not really getting on with it first time round. I think it consists of 10 very fine songs. Better than 'Wincing' for me, but not as good as their first two obviously.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. dimmedwitnick

   6

   "Port of Morrow", the long awaited follow up to the underrated "Wincing the Night Away", ultimately disappoints and frustrates this longtime "Shins" fan with it's tragic lack of identity. Early on in this album there are several moments that reminded me of why I love The Shins. "Simple Song" is a fantastic track that gave me hope for another classic full length. However, sometime after "September" (another track that I loved and thought would have fit in perfectly with "Chutes Too Narrow") this album really loses its way and most importantly its identity. "No Way Down" starts out like a generic Christian rock song and vocally sounds like a "They Might Be Giants" rip-off. Not to say it's bad, but it isn't The Shins that I fell in love with. The title track seems to be going for something atmospheric and epic, but it really just falls flat for me.
   
   "It's Only Life" is the most frustrating track on this album, for me. It seems like a really, really good song. But there is a perfection to the production that is almost off putting. Too glossy. Too ready for adult contemporary radio. Compared to the previously mentioned "Simple Song" (that takes a lot of risks that pay off extraordinarily well), it just comes across sounding like two different projects. Their three previous records are must-own albums for me, but sadly I cannot really put "Port of Morrow" in those ranks.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. wolfbag

   3

   I'd have to disagree with j30...I found it an album I looked forward to for months and found hugely disappointing. "Wincing..." still gets regular plays after years of listening, but this? I've made myself listen to this on and off for about 2 weeks, hoping for something, but its just fairly insipid in the main. That would be reasonable, but there are a number of songs which make me want to turn it off immediately. This is mainly due to lyrics (e.g. the first use of the term "ducks in a row" outside of a business meeting full of chubby guys in chinos, or that stuff about dishwater disguised as lemonade) but there are also some musical moments where they seem to be striving for some kind of MOR-type appeal (maybe those chubby guys at the meeting? "Hey Chet, great slides, have you heard of the Shins, they're this new band..."). There are a few decent tunes, Simple Song stands out but I'm already getting a little sick of it. One review I read described it as music made especially for people in their late 30s who still want to feel a bit cool. The reviewer meant it as a good thing, and yeah I'd fall into that category but that statement kind of sums up how it sounds to me.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 1 users said Yes.

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