Oh, Inverted World by The Shins

Pros: Absolutely perfect music.
Cons: Nothing.

The Shins make me feel like a musical dolt. I try to stay current on bands and pick up the best new music, but this is one band that managed to slip through my greasy fingertips. The only thing I can figure is that New Mexico-based act got too much ...

Pros: A great debut and an epochal indie release
Cons: None

Oh, Inverted World only took on significance and popular appeal years after it was released, which is an odd thing to happen to an album. It was highly praised on its release and it sold well, yes, but it was hardly a blockbuster success. No one ...

Pros: Mercer's lyrics, experimental, innovative, catchy
Cons: Lo-fi production

For the most part The Shins were introduced to me backwards. They’d already released their second album, Chutes Too Narrow by the time I’d heard about them and this was the album that would get me hooked on their sound. I was so impressed by ...

Pros: The music is good...
Cons: But they don't try. At all.

While we certainly have plenty of new bands nowadays that can rock well, few non-tribute bands recall the sounds of The Beatles and The Who as well as The Shins. It is not often that you'll hear the often acoustic and multi-voiced quartet busting out ...

Pros: mind-bending lyrics; beautifully scarred pop melodies; scattered soundscape that makes sense
Cons: only as flawed as this f-cked up world; perfectly marred

If this world was one big, grotesquely, absurdly shaped building, would the general, closed off, music-loving public try to "fix" it? Would they straighten the windows and level the shelves? Would they make perfect rectangles out of the perfectly ...

Pros: lyrics, sound, Mercer, all
Cons: NOTHING major

Oh, Inverted World, The Shins's first full-length album, was released in 2001. After their second release (Chute Too Narrow) in 2003 and a few songs on the Garden State soundtrack, they've finally met a pretty decent level of ...

Pros: hues of gray, psychadelia, folk, and beach rock.
Cons: Why aren't THESE guys on MTV and Radio instead of all that other crap?

I've never been one to jump all over "Indie Rock". In fact, until a couple years ago I had never really paid attention to that genre, I figured it was probably underground alternative rock (it is) that I probably would not enjoy or find sounding to much ...

Pros: Very "Beatles"-like... great soft rock songs.
Cons: Guitar and singer sometimes drift off into la-la land.

I’ve been pressing a lot of time looking for Underground bands. I’m growing sick of whatever is on MTV, so I’m looking around for something that’s NOT on MTV, but most appreciated for its music instead of the music video they create or the...

Pros: Catchy tunes, moving lyrics, fun feel without dipping into sentimentality
Cons: The problem I had at first was "Your Algebra", but have come to love it.

I usually don't write reviews for anything other than movies, but, after listening to The Shins first two albums I knew there was something significant and important about this foursome. After seeing them live I've come to conclusion they may very well ...

Pros: A great sound from the SW US
Cons: Too short

Oh, Inverted World was brought to my attention by a fellow music collector. His claim that it is the best album of 2001 was circumspect given he told me this in May. My eternal faith in his taste led me to buy the record and give it a cautious listen....

Pros: Each song shimmering pop masterpiece
Cons: Too short

60's nostalgia anyone? That is exactly what is served up on The Shins' Oh, Inverted World!, which seems to echo the sunny isolation of the bands native New Mexico. The band does a good job of cohesively combining an eclectic array of tunes to convey an...

Pros: The band is never stale.
Cons: certainly an aquired taste

The shins is a mix of Brittish pop/indie/punk and many other influences. What I like so much about this group is that they're so fresh, In this album they have one song, and the next sounds completely different. It's great, I would buy this record just...

Pros: Smart, well-crafted, near perfect pop songs from start to finish.
Cons: Too short, I want more!

I bought this the day it came out based on a review I had read about it...
No album has hit me like this one has in quite awhile.

Every song is brilliant, from start to finish. The most endearing quality of the album is its requirement...

Pros: Absolutely Beautiful.
Cons: Many (incredible) songs aren't available on any album. hello kazaa

I'm not going to write a drawn-out review on the guitar riffs, or how the vocals tracks are too low on some songs. This album, no, this band basically captured me. They CAN be compared to the Beatles, perhaps more recently The French Kicks or a...

Pros: great songs, good background OR loud in your car tunes.
Cons: Your other CD's will be a bit lonely for a while...

They sound English, but as I understand it, they're from New Mexico. Go figure. Classic songs. Both this and Chutes Too Narrow are in my CD rotation and I have yet to get sick of them.