CD review: The Shins

It might be titled The Shins, yet this project is now firmly and solely the brainchild of 40-something James Morrow.

Self-produced and recorded with a limited cast of musicians, Heartworms is both gentle yet playfully ambitious as Morrow jumps from the falsetto joy of Name For You to fuzzy glam-rock grooves (Painting a Hole) and bouncing, angular synth-pop (Cherry Hearts).

And that’s just the first three tracks. Elsewhere he touches on ’60s Merseyside balladry (Fantasy Island), Gorillaz-type mash-ups (Dead Alive), and brings to bear all his formidable songwriting chops on the title track, where glorious harmonies do battle with sharp electric guitars and a loose backbeat.

 The Shins. Heartworms. Sony.

Four stars (out of five)

Single download: Heartworms
For those who like: Elliott Smith, Postal Service

— Shane Gilchrist

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