The Shins: "Simple Song"

By March, when Port of Morrow is released, it will have been five years since Wincing the Night Away (2007) dropped to muted approval. Few really went as far as lambasting the Shins for their incremental expansion, which came arguably at the expense of Mercer’s songwriting, but then hardly anybody—except Clay, for one—went to great lengths to extol the virtues it did have. “Simple Song” seems to indicate that Port of Morrow will provoke a similar critical response of apathy, as it bears witness to James Mercer’s seemingly unalterable path of progression being, well, unalterable. I’m writing this the day of Wikipedia’s blackout, so there is absolutely no way that I can tell precisely who else is in the Shins right now, but a few things are certain: Mercer can still write inescapably memorable hooks, he still records unraveling, distinct vocals, and he’s continuing to make the Shins’ sound more polished and full.

No surprise, then, that the intro to “Simple Song” sounds similar to that of “Phantom Limb,” the most fully realized track from Wincing the Night Away. There’s still the thumping bass line, only this time, there’s also a barely audible organ and a multi-tracked vocal sample. Continuing with the comparison, you’d notice a verse and chorus which aren’t unlike, only on “Simple Song” you get the drums thrown in with twice the bombast and the trilling of electric guitar running over the basic melody. (As if any of this needed further emphasizing, some guy on Soundcloud exclaims, “Is this a RUSH song???”) I understand that writing about the Shins’ peculiar avenues of growth is almost redundant but shit, they do not make it easy to avoid.

“Simple Song” is also a very listenable track, though, if sometimes indulgent. Laying aside the questionable necessity of certain inclusions, the central riff, further along the pop spectrum than ever before, carries the song with a triumphant verve, the pomp-laced antidote to Mercer’s bittersweet, lovelorn reminiscence. Each guitar strum bears the vigour of a stroke of professional, synchronized orchestra. The call-and-response vocal style familiar to fans of the Shins is unashamedly present, and Mercer coos once more with sweet sincerity.

There is something within me which radiates joy at the return of the Shins, and the very existence of “Simple Song”; “you feel like an ocean being warmed by the Sun” is a fitting central metaphor. However, while partly this way inclined, something much more persistent rears its head, the idea that while enjoyable, “Simple Song” is a tad too thin and inconsequential to warrant an album of similar efforts. Honestly, it could go either way—this could be the highlight of an album that doesn’t stray far from it, or a fun oddity amongst nine other, more interesting efforts on Port of Morrow. Here’s hoping for the latter.