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The Shins | Oh, Inverted World

32 minutes of delightful pop-psychedelia.
CD, Sub Pop/Konkurrent

Tekst: Bob Hammond

Publicatiedatum: 05 december 2001

It's safe to say that The Shins' latest album 'Oh, Inverted World' pretty much came out of nowhere. Who would've thought that such a beautiful synthesis of 60s pop and psychedelia could come from Albuquerque and be released by the always-rocking Sub Pop records? Fortunately for us, strange things do happen, and as a result we're left with the best pop album of the year. 'Oh, Inverted World' isn't a groundbreaking or revolutionary album. Most of what is on this album has been done before. However, I can't think of many times that it has been done as well. The Shins take the best from such pop luminaries as The Beach Boys, Love, and The Byrds, and with it create songs that will make you yearn for the golden days of west-coast music. 'Oh, Inverted World''s eleven tracks of 60s nostalgia make for an album that is both wonderfully pleasant and incredibly catchy. The Shins create music that makes you smile. Whether they intended this effect or not, this cheerful and peaceful feel is one of the album's strongest points. 'Oh, Inverted World' evokes images of a summer's day in California. 'Caring Is Creepy' and 'One by One All Day' introduce the tranquil tone immediately, with dream-like synthesizers, jangly guitars, and echoing voices that quickly dissolve away any cares you may have. From there, it's a leisurely stroll through 'The Weird Divide', a laidback tune that displays an obvious affection for Brian Wilson. Carrying on with this relaxed feel, the folksy 'New Slang' sounds as if Nick Drake or Donovan had written it while travelling on the Pacific Coast Highway. The melodic acoustics and lack of percussion in both songs give the feel of an impromptu back-porch or living room performance, sounding both comfortable and uninhibited. The highlight of the album is 'Know Your Onion', an up-tempo number that sounds more London than California. The song transitions smoothly back and forth between British-tinged garage rock and their previous pop leanings, making for a memorable and fun melody. This tradition is continued on the likes of 'Girl on the Wing' and 'Pressed in a Book', both of which are addicting in their own right, but neither as captivating as 'Know Your Onion'. 'Oh, Inverted World''s chronology of a summer's day ends with the quiet acoustic guitar and French horn of 'The Past and Pending', a song that would be a fitting soundtrack for a summertime sunset. When the closing track is completed, you come back into the real world and out of your relaxed state. All of your troubles and stresses that you had forgotten about come back, and the significance of the album opener's title is apparent. For the 32 minutes you spent listening to this album, caring was indeed creepy.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/the-shins/oh-inverted-world/928/
Meer The Shins op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/the-shins