Shins show legs in ‘01 debut effort

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 8:43 a.m.

Everyone I know who saw last year's "Garden State" raved most about the film's music.

I felt the same way. Songs by Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake and Iron & Wine, among others, made several scenes highly memorable, elevating the movie the way soundtracks once did for "Boogie Nights" and "Rushmore."

More than any other act featured in "Garden State," New Mexico's Shins have ridden a wave of newfound popularity since their inclusion. It's well-deserved, since the Albuquerque-based outfit is one of the most exciting bands of the decade.

The Shins have existed since the late 1990s, but they didn't issue their first album until 2001, when they released the sublime "Oh, Inverted World."

Sophomore disc "Chutes Too Narrow," which followed in 2003, is another quality effort, but to me the band's debut is a notch better, both as an introduction and as an enduring listening experience.

The Shins' confections are effervescent and roomy, proving that pop music doesn't have to be campy or cheesy to be catchy.

Coming like a breath of fresh air after the fuzzed-out guitars of 1990s indie rock, the indie-pop of "Oh, Inverted World" mixes an obvious reverence for classic '60s sounds (the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel) with an experimental, modern approach reminiscent of XTC or Squeeze.

The whistled intro to opening cut "Caring is Creepy" (one of the Shins' tunes featured in "Garden State") sets the bouncy mood for the other 10 tracks to follow, none of which are duds.

Frontman James Mercer's perky voice is pleasant but not overly stylized, easily allowing for spin after spin. Dextrous lyrical turns such as "Unknown quotients, you must be using potions" (from "Girl Inform Me") should also keep you coming back for more.

Not that the Shins' tunes are slick without having substance. The majestic "New Slang," for example, feels spine-tinglingly momentous. Little wonder it has been stealing scenes in "Garden State," "The Sopranos" and "Scrubs."

Artist: The Shins.

Title: "Oh, Inverted World."

Year of release: 2001 (Sub Pop Records).

Tracklisting: "Caring is Creepy," "One By One All Day," "Weird Divide," "Know Your Onion!," "Girl Inform Me," "New Slang," "The Celibate Life," "Girl on the Wing," "Your Algebra," "Pressed in a Book," "The Past and Pending."