The Shins - Heartworms
- Written by Richard Inman
Having been a fan of The Shins since stumbling upon them playing the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham many moons ago, we were eager to hear their latest offering.
It’s been 5 years since their last album and we’re sure everyone’s curious to see if Heartworms would be worth the wait - especially as James Mercer is the only original member and this is effectively a solo project, but we shall see.
Opener ‘Name For You’ immediately reacquaints you with the frontman’s unfalteringly upbeat voice and ability to pen a great pop hook. The song is a charmingly positive ode to femininity: "Somebody with an antique notion comes along to tighten the line/ they're just afraid of you speaking your mind". The catchy chorus has some light, fun backing vocals and the plodding, ska style guitar gives the song a great summery feel.
‘Painting A Hole’ has a completely different vibe, beginning with ‘Hey Mickey’-esque drums, before settling into a fuzzy stomper, with an intense dark groove that builds and drops throughout. ‘Cherry Hearts’ is a dense, synth-laden take on the romance of a drunken kiss and the perils of wishful thinking: “I've never done time/ but I've done the crime of wanting something that never could stay”. ‘Fantasy Island’ muses on Mercer’s insecurities and need for escape as a child: “An origami plane to a distant island… All my life, compromise on wings of resignation”. We’re sure there’s a knowing nod to the eponymous TV show too, complete with flying plane introduction (albeit sans-Tattoo shouting “The plane, the plane”). ‘Fantasy Island’ captures the warmth of holiday escapism, with its raked harp sounds, pining vocals and dreamy synths.
Arguably the most Chutes Too Narrow period number, ‘Mildenhall’, is a country-tinged, sweetly autobiographical song about Mercer’s teenage years, influences from a JAMC tape and learning guitar: “and that’s how/we get to where we are now”.
It’s from here where the album really begins to hit its stride. ‘Rubber Ballz’ is the closest offering to Oh, Inverted World Shins, with quirky vocal hooks, pokey synth and meandering acoustic guitar verses. Complete with cheeky lyrics and playful manner, songs like ‘Rubber Ballz’ are what made listeners appreciate the Shins from the beginning. Similarly, ‘Dead Alive’ is evocative of an earlier era with its distant vocal sound, lush chorus harmonies and plodding, walking bass line.
‘Half a Million’ is unashamed indie-pop fun with enough production quirks to elevate it above a lot of poorer attempts out there. The 80’s synth hook, big layered chorus, ‘Video killed the radio star’-esque piano and drum machine drop and vocal layering show a real skill for songwriting.
The title track is beautifully crafted, with an exasperated call and response chorus: “what can I do”. The backing vocals and lyrics really shine on this track “No easy way around it, You're the saddest dream that ever come true”.
‘So Now What’ has dreamy, subtle stabbing keys under the sparse verse, making way for a big sweeping chorus with Mercer’s trademark fragile voice soaring. ‘So Now What’ features on the Wish I Was Here soundtrack, director Zach Braff’s follow up to Garden State, the film soundtrack where many listeners will have first become acquainted with The Shins.
‘The Fear’ closes the album nicely with its harmonica and percussion giving the song a feel of a world music sea shanty. The strings swell beautifully as we close on Mercer’s vulnerable reminiscing.
It’s been a long journey since the Shins formed in 1996, and Heartworms has the heartfelt, anecdotal sound of experience. You can hear the tinkering in the woodshed on this self-produced and recorded effort, not charging in with all the energy of the band’s younger incarnation - but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The production is dense and measured and Mercer’s voice is as distinctive and charming as ever - whether he’s doing a Banshee impression on ‘Painting a Hole’ or muddling as an alt-country troubadour. The Shins have stayed the course on their sound, and while it may not be a particularly revolutionary affair, there’s enough here to enjoy and still worm their way into your heart.