Re-post: Shintillating

I don't know what was going on with our MP3s yesterday, but I fixed it (I think). I posted some other Shins tracks to make up for the dead links we tossed up yesterday. Our apologies, YouSendIt seems to be the only sure bet these days.

They of the McDonald's backlash, the Garden State plug and the Beach Boys-like harmonies are back at it. You knew this. Phantom Limb [EP] arrived this week and I haven't stopped listening to the Shins. At one point yesterday, the First Lady asked if we had been listening to the same three songs over and over for the last hour. We had, and it was the Phantom Limb [EP]. But she didn't notice or care until we had listen to each track about 20 or so times.

"Phantom Limb" is classic Shins: a catchy track, a gorgeous harmony and a bouncy-light feel with some addictive guitar fills and a hovering female vocal to boot. The other two tracks on the EP (more like CD-Single) are just as good. "Nothing At All" starts with a Springsteen riff of sorts (think "Glory Days" without overpowering drums) that is slowly overshadowed by the great vocals of frontman James Mercer. A keyboard riff winds its way into the picture, the pace picks up, the keyboard returns and your singing along by the end of it. "Split Needles (Alt Version)" gathers steam via an opening angular guitar riff and some steady drumming. Catchy lead guitar work and soothing lyrics equal more of the same from the New Mexicans. Catchy, addictive and everything that brought me into their Inverted World in the first place.

[DiS Interview | Official Site | SubPop | ShinSpace]

    

UPDATE: All of these links should be rocking now...

MP3: The Shins - "Split Needles (Alt Version)"
MP3: The Shins - "Gone For Good"
MP3: The Shins - "Saint Simon"