Haughty Eagles

The Shins "Australia"

The Shins "A Comet Appears"

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"New release week" continues with the latest from the Shins, Wincing The Night Away. I once read an article (I think it was the LA Weekly) that called this band "essentially the Beatles for the Oughties". First of all, is that what they call this decade? I've been waiting for a clear cut term for it. Does that mean in ten years VH1 will be airing I Heart the Oughties forty times a week? And will they look back on this Shins record and compare it to Revolver? Well I don't know about the Oughties thing, but I an tell you that those gadflys will have forgotten about this record by then.

Wincing The Night Away not without its shining moments. "Australia" is a standout (any song that has the line "android's conundrum" in it wins the battle for me) as is the first single "Phantom Limb", a song that took about three weeks for me to recognize its greatness. "A Comet Appears" will be included on the list of the Shins' most beautiful songs right there with "New Slang" and "When I Goosestep". But aside from those gems the rest is bland and uninspired, ripe for the picking of ad agencies to use in commercials for Saturns and Volkswagons.

I wanted to like this more than I do. I listened to it more than any of the rest of the "new batch" because I expect big things from the Shins. The record ended and I felt more like I had just listened to Ringo's All-Stars rather than the Oughty Beatles.