Following the breakthrough success of 'Wincing The Night Away' James
Mercer did what any self respecting musical despot would do, sack the
band and start again. The results predictably are the same, only
slightly different. Port of Morrow ticks all the boxes of the previous
albums with lashings of happy/sad mock British cynicism and
self-loathing set against bouncy bass riffs and breezy mid-tempo
ballads. The Smiths, Belle & Sebastian, and Camera Obscura, remain
the blueprint from which Mercer draws from. However there is a notable
shift towards US folk storyteller style compositions which may divide
listeners.
'The Riffle's Spiral' commences the album in a suitably wordy
fashion as Mercer draws upon his seemingly endless vocabulary. The music
however has a more bombastic electro dance-rock feel than previous
offerings First single 'Simple Song' is a more traditional Shins
effort, showcasing Mercer's classic songwriting skills with shimmering
guitars and silky bass lines weaving below his falsetto vocal. Most of
the songs hinge on Mercer's vocal. His ability to move between falsetto
and baritone is world class and most of the singalong moments come in
the higher male register. 'Bait and Switch' delivers such a moment of
high pitched wonderment "I'm just a simple man cursed with an honest
heart". Would be single 'No Way Down' stands out because of its bouncy
bass and guitar interplay and witty lyrics such as "Apologies to the
sick and the young. Get used to the dust in your lungs"
The album has a more mature alt country feel on many of the tracks,
which seem more retrospective than the angry in the now angst The Shins
built their reputation upon. For this reason 'Port of Morrow' is less
instant than the previous Shins albums and must be labelled with the
ominous charge of being 'a grower'. 'For A Fool' is the best of
these mid-tempo offerings. A beautiful song with a heavenly chorus of
"Taken for a fool, yes I was because I was a fool" There's a whiff of
Steely Dan about "Fall of '82" which cements this move towards
Americana, which may divide fans. Title track 'Port Of Morrow' a jazz
fuelled mix of Portishead and Radiohead, closes the album in
considerable style. The string arrangements combine wonderfully with
Mercer as his gritty falsetto steals the show.one last time.
Port of Morrow, doesn't reach the dizzying perfection of Wincing The
Night Away, but this is by no means a bad way to follow up your
masterpiece.
No comments:
Post a Comment