James Mercer and his crew came back with the new material. I say crew on purpose as the members have completely changed since the last album, which is easy to notice when listening to Heartworms.
The Shins experienced a solid push at the onset of their career when they were noticed by many indie lovers. As the time went by, the band started searching for their music identity. Their newest record indicates that they still didn’t find it, as the final result comes off as weak compared to the previous ten years of their discography.
Besides membership changes, another important novelty is ample use of electronic plug-ins, with the purpose or making the soundscapes more thick. This is how we got a hybrid of psychedelic and indie pop. The Shins definitely have an idea of how it should all sound, as Mercer took care of the whole production. So, we can not blame anyone else but him for the stream of tiring songs that lack creative spark.
Opening track Name for you stands as a bubbly number that evokes 80s pop, while Painting a Hole sounds like it dropped from the album by Peter, Bjorn and John. They play with rhythm more than with melody. Cherry Hearts is the worst kind of electropop. So, the very beginning of the album hints that the band is hungry for exploring the past. Unfrotunately, they don’t do it very well. The songs are way too simple because The Shins were looking for inspiration in authors without a personal touch. Modernization did not bring anything innovative either. I mean, just take a listen to Fantasy Island and you will know what I mean. It sounds like it was created by A-Ha revival band.
Ok, there are some intriguing moments here. Caribbean-driven Mildenhal or Dead Alive bring ideal version of The Shins. Too bad they were not able to be at the top of their game all the way. They could have regained they status of indie kings, but it all resulted in a big Meh.
It starts to become clear why many members can not stay in the band for too long. James Mercer is obviously more interested in experimenting with production than focusing on the essence. In the mixture of everything, the meaning was lost. And the meaning is – song.
