The Shins, “Wincing the Night Away”
INDIE ROCK|Sub Pop, released today
After touring “Chutes Too Narrow” into the ground amid the “Garden State” afterglow, James Mercer went on a synthesizer bender. The guitars and chamber pop elements upon which The Shins built their empire remain, but this hotly anticipated third record shows the band’s penchant for keyboards – and while it’s not always a flattering makeover, Mercer’s captivating songwriting ultimately triumphs.
It’s not that Mercer’s songwriting evolved that much. The instruments are slightly different – note the prominent bass line in “Sea Legs” or the atmospheric keys on “A Comet Appears” – but the songs are obviously from Mercer’s pop-obsessed brain. The lyrics stop and start, not unlike Morrissey’s playful delivery. The music is sweet and wistful – too smart to be precious, although it walks that line more precariously than these Portland, Ore., kids ever have.
“Wincing the Night Away” seems like the record The Shins were meant to release at this stage of their young career, Hollywood success or no. It’s moody and evocative, but most important, it’s still modest and built around The Shins’ capabilities, centered on their strengths and quietly exploring new territories. |Ricardo Baca
Of Montreal, “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?”
INDIE ROCK|Polyvinyl, released today
Even if they can’t nail down when it happened, Of Montreal fans know the band mutated from a Beach Boys-aping act into something entirely different. Frontman Kevin Barnes dropped the fantastical indie pop of his Elephant Six days for a more ’80s-indebted sound, leaning hard on synths, triggered drum pads and layered loops.
“The Sunlandic Twins,” an insanely focused 2005 platter, may well be Of Montreal’s pinnacle, but “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” is a close second. The album takes a dark turn in examining Barnes’ relationship with drugs, his adopted home of Norway and life as a husband/father.
“Hissing Fauna” has no right to be so catchy, considering its relentless sonic tricks and smarty- pants lyrics. A couple of close, patient listens to this headphone masterpiece don’t reveal why, but by then you’re too addicted to care.|John Wenzel
Menomena, “Friend and Foe”
LOOP-BASED ROCK|Barsuk, released today
Folk Implosion, a beat-happy side project of Sebadoh’s Lou Barlow, once seemed to have so much potential. The band threaded weird melodies, rhythms and textures through the same tiny hole. Unfortunately, it could never quite finish what it started.
Menomena, a Portland, Ore.- based trio, made good on Folk Implosion’s promise by injecting dub, hip-hop and experimental rock through similar channels. On its sophomore disc, “Friend and Foe,” the band perfects a scattered blend of elements from its debut, relying on unpredictable computer loops, baldly melodic vocals and irresistible beats.
Echoes of Ween (“Rotten Hell”), Gorillaz (“Weird”) and Folk Implosion (the heart-rending “Wet and Rusting”) reverberate, but the band has crafted something unique on “Friend or Foe.” It’s one of the first standout discs of the year, wide awake and sprinting through a dream land of spooky, brilliant melodies. |John Wenzel
Other releases today:
The Grateful Dead, “Live at the Cow Palace” (Rhino) This three- CD set rises above dozens of others by mixing the group’s 1976 New Year’s Eve performance from the original 16-track analog tape, then mastering it in hi-def.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads” (Reprise) Pop-blues guitarist Shepherd steps aside to back vets like Etta Baker and Pinetop Perkins in this earnest tribute.
