If you hadn’t heard of The Shins when Garden State came out in 2004, Natalie Portman made sure you knew their music would change your life. However, after only three albums keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval were fired from the band, and The Shins went on hiatus. James Mercer continued to produce music with Danger Mouse as Broken Bells, but there was a noticeable lack of The Shins in the world.
Now after a two year break, Mercer is reforming the indie rock outfit to play at the Outside Lands festival in August. The group is also currently working on a new album. In celebration of this exciting news, we decided to compile our list of the 10 best songs in the Shins’ short-but-accomplished career.
10. “The Past and Pending”
Concerned with an inability to let go and a debilitating fear of the future, “The Past and Pending” perfectly captures the feeling of being misplaced after a failed relationship. “Loiter the whole day through and lose yourself in lines dissecting love.” Who hasn’t found themselves doing just that at some point in their life?
9. “Phantom Limb”
“Phantom Limb” became the first single from 2007’s Wincing the Night Away. James Mercer described the song as “a hypothetical, fictional account of a young, lesbian couple in high school dealing with the shitty small town they live in.”
8. “We Will Become Silhouettes
Though technically not a Shins original, this cover of a track from fellow indie favorite, The Postal Service, is a wonderful interpretation of an already beautiful song.
7. “Sleeping Lessons”
From the very beginning of Wincing the Night Away, “Sleeping Lessons” let the listener know that The Shins had matured from their humble beginnings with their most forward-thinking release. The theme of the song, as well as the album’s title, were inspired by the crippling insomnia Mercer was experiencing while working on the record.
6. “Young Pilgrims”