Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

[WalterSobchak]

Anyone else give this a listen? I just went through my first listen and have to say that it kicked my ass. Kicked it harder than "Oh, Inverted World." It has more emotion, more feeling, more rock!

From the beginning to the end it's what I was looking for at the moment and it usually ends up that this is the music that rocks me the hardest. Go Shins go.

[DudeMan]

Walt, when you're right, you're right. The Shins rock out! This is a great cd, and it is every bit as good as Inverted World, which is really saying something. And, the more you listen to it, the more you love it.

The Shins represent everything that is good about music. They are right up there with red & green chili-peppers as New Mexico's most notable home-grown product!

[Pretend Girl]

Most of the reviews that I've read for this album praise it to high heaven, saying it is better than Oh, Inverted World.

Don't get me wrong, I am indubitably in love with this album. But I think Oh, Inverted World has not been topped, and I've been wondering if anyone else agrees with me.

[dcXhc]

Originally posted by Pretend Girl
Most of the reviews that I've read for this album praise it to high heaven, saying it is better than Oh, Inverted World.

Don't get me wrong, I am indubitably in love with this album. But I think Oh, Inverted World has not been topped, and I've been wondering if anyone else agrees with me.

Yes. I do. I think it's a great album, but not as great as Oh, Inverted World.

I think the review in The Onion sums up my feelings:

"Without the thrill of discovery, it's no shock that the returns have diminished slightly on Chutes Too Narrow. But a minor step down from greatness still sounds damn good. "

http://www.theonionavclub.com/review_pop.php?review_id=6929

[coreyhemp]

I gotta throw my .02 in for The Shins new one. I absolutely love it. There are so many different styles thrown into this album, yet everything works as a collective whole. Listen to resurgences of 60s-70s pop, psychadelia, rock and folk.

I don't know if it's better or worse than Inverted. I really like Inverted and I really like Chutes. So, for now, I'm just saying that they're both equally as good. Yeah, so I'm taking the easy route and playing devil's advocate on this one, what's it to ya!

The whole album is great, but some of my favorite tracks include:

Kissing the Lipless
So Says I
Young Pilgrims
Fighting in a Sack
Pink Bullets

Well that's almost half the album, so go get it!!

[Fork]

Well I can see that no one has said anything bad about the new Shins Cd and...well...I am not going to either. It is a great CD. I like it but no better or worse than their first CD. Both are great.

Just to say something negative: I dont like "Give Up" by The Postal Service.

[samanafay]

I posted this Shins review on Friendster a couple weeks ago:

"Most everyone is aware of my undying admiration
of the lovely band The Shins. However, some of
you may not know that I am completely obsessive/
fanatic/ all of the above gaa gaa over these
boys. I have long since been a firm believer that
they can do no wrong, their new cd Chutes Too
Narrow (which was released last Tuesday) is
testament to that.
Chutes Too Narrow is a perfect follow up to Oh,
Inverted World. I don't think the sounds on CTN
are as varied as those on O,IW but it is
definitely not inferior.
The writing is spectacular. "Since then it's been
a book you read in reverse, so you understand
less as the pages turn. or a movie so crass and
awkwardly cast that even i could be the star."
Every time I hear that line I make my pouty face.
James vocals just have that perfect desperation
about them.
And it seems they are trying out different things
on this album. Sometimes going in different
directions with songwriting, for instance A Call
To Apathy/Gone For Good and Pink Bullets have a
real country/folk feel to them. So Says I is more
of a typical Shins song. They're all amazing.
I absolutely adore this album.

there is a fan-TAS-tic! review of the album on
The Morning News. Give it a read. I could have
written this review, it is so right on.

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow review (http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/albums/the_shins_chutes_too_narrow.php)

Lastly, The Shins are playing at Headliners
November 19th. The first time I ever saw The
Shins was in 2000 when they opened up for Modest
Mouse. I have been smitten ever since. I cannot
not! not! wait to do it again! I want to see all
of your lovely faces there. Carla & Sarah, I'm
lookin' your way."

[LindseyRainbow]

The Shins kick butt! Both OIV and CTN are awesome. The linear notes in their new cd are neat, and it's cool it came with a sticker : ) . I think my favorite song is Saint Simon. If you go to iFilm (http://www.ifilm.com) and search for the Shins, you can see a video for the song The Past and Pending. These guys are really talented and cute, and you should check them out if you haven't already. Oh, one more thing. Did anyone watch that reality show where all theses women were trying to be supermodels? One of them is dating a Shin. Lucky girl!

[Pretend Girl]

Yeah, she's dating Mercer I believe.

I actually saw the last episode of that. She entered it, kind of as a joke, and wound up in the finals. She was a badass, she put those hoes in their place.

She should have won.

[samanafay]

I never saw the show but the pseudo-model is named Elyse Sewell and she is the girlfriend of Marty Crandall, the keyboard player Shin.
James doesn't date girls, he's far too elusive and mysterious. plus, how would he be able to write those melancholy, deperate tunes if he was in love with a lady? he is so attractive.

[DudeMan]

Originally posted by LindseyRainbow
If you go to iFilm (http://www.ifilm.com) and search for the Shins, you can see a video for the song The Past and Pending.
Hey, thanks for linking this! I hadn't seen this video. It is perfect for the song... very languid and reflective. And there are some beautiful set-shots.

The little snippet-writeup also put it well... who wouldn't love to go on a road trip through the desert and high plains of New Mexico with their grandpa, stopping off along the way to take a bunch of pictures?

[Pretend Girl]

Originally posted by samanafay
I never saw the show but the pseudo-model is named Elyse Sewell and she is the girlfriend of Marty Crandall, the keyboard player Shin.
James doesn't date girls, he's far too elusive and mysterious. plus, how would he be able to write those melancholy, deperate tunes if he was in love with a lady? he is so attractive.

Touche, I was going on memory instead of looking it up. Thanks for the correction.

[kickinitlive]

i love the shins. i love the record. what i want to know is...what about flake? are they as good as this stuff? where can i get to listen? someone HELP!

[samanafay]

Flake Music isn't as good as The Shins' but it's still good. It isn't as polished and proficient but it's still pretty dern fun. Flake Music songs are more uniformly like the faster Shins songs, like So Says I.
You should listen to When You Land Here, It's Time To Return. I bet you would like it Kick.

[Pretend Girl]

Flake Music sounds like a bad version of the Shins. Exactly the same sound, just... worse. If that makes sense.

Whatever, I don't mind it necessarily, it's just that if I'm going to listen to it, I might as well just put in Oh, Inverted World.