Almost overnight the shins, a band that since its debut with "Oh Inverted World" (Sub Pop, 03) seemed destined to be forever and ever the favorite of chronic loners and introverted pop lovers with a brittle heart became a phenomenon whose numbers edged the mainstream. Success changed everything: the subsequent intense tour damaged relationships between the band members, with James Mercer taking on much of the promotional work and feeling increasingly exhausted. It was then that he met Brian Burton, Danger Mouse, and the couple decided to embark on the joint project Broken bells.
In any case, the five years of waiting and the fact that the departure of the group of Marty Crandall, Dave Hernandez and Jesse Sandoval formalizes the absolute control of the brand The Shins by Mercer, highlight the condition of a new beginning of "Port Of Morrow". Produced by Greg Kurstin, who has worked with artists ranging from Kylie Minogue to Peaches and from Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Beck and Foster The People, the new album is not far removed from the group's previous work.
“I actually have a tendency to procrastinate and finish songs in the studio. Partly because when you start recording you see things from another perspective. In addition, Greg is a great instrumentalist and a prodigious keyboard player and has participated very actively in the creative process, as well as all the musicians who have participated in the sessions. But it is true that I am very proud of the album and the songs. From the beginning I knew it had to be a great album and I think it's the best-sounding album of our career and that some of these songs are the best I've written to date ”. At least it is "Simple Song", advance of the album posted on the Internet at the beginning of last January.
Source: Mondosonoro