| Bopping along to The Shins' show the other night at Club Quattro Shinsaibashi, it occurred to me that it had been a long time since I'd heard a rock 'n' roll singer who could really sing. Sure, a lot of them can carry a tune, howl, moan, wail, whoop, and otherwise emote, but how many have a true voice? What a treat then, to hear a man of octaves like Shins' singer/songwriter/guitarist James Mercer. A natural tenor who bursts into falsetto effortlessly, Mercer's singing is by turns propulsive, ingenuous, surprising, and familiar. And he nails every note. |
 The band kicked off with Kissing the Lipless and breezed through nearly 20 tunes on the night, with exacting performance standards and a friendly, unaffected demeanor befitting their Albuquerque roots. The Shins were clearly thrilled to be in Asia for the first time, and had even studied some Japanese in preparation for the visit. Towards the start, tipsy keyboardist/guitarist Marty Crandall blurted out, "Watashi wa anata ga suki desu" with passable pronunciation. With a jangly guitar sound drawing on sunny psychedelia, the four-man band had fun and it showed. Concert-goers were charmed in return, and when they demanded the band take the stage for an unexpected second encore, the musicians were genuinely chuffed. |
Mercer's writing is equally impressive. Though couched in catchy melodies that rarely run beyond four minutes, his lyrics are urbane and provocative. In my favorite Shins number, Young Pilgrims, he imbues a leisurely, appealing, pretty tune with heavy thoughts about how "there's no design" to the universe and how "modern thought can get the best of you." He concludes, "But I learned fast how to keep my head up / 'Cause I know there is this side of me / That wants to grab the yoke from the pilot / And just fly the whole mess into the sea."
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| The Shins' latest disc, Chutes Too Narrow, is brilliant but almost too cleanly produced. Live, the band offers more warmth and more edge. Talented, likable, and supple, this band is going places. |
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Opening for The Shins was Osaka's own Shonen Knife, a trio of women well appreciated in the States, where they once toured with Nirvana. Swinging their long hair theatrically and sporting coordinated white sleeveless tunics with blue trousers, the band pulled off its version of girl-next-door-meets-Joey Ramone power pop with gusto. The crowd was more than happy to pogo along to winners like Rubber Band and Buttercup (I'm a Super Girl), and by the end of the Knife's set, our ears were ringing sweetly. report by jab and photo by yegg |
 Mag files To The Extreme : (05/01/31 @ Harajuku Astro Hall ) : review by shawn, photo by kecophoto report : (05/01/31 @ Harajuku Astro Hall ) : photo by kecoA Kick in The Shins : (05/01/30 @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro ) : review by jab, photo by yeggphoto report : (05/01/30 @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro ) : photo by yegg |
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The official site The Shins http://www.theshins.com The latest album  『Chutes Too Narrow』 ( US import ) |
previous works check the albums? |
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jab's works  2005A Kick in The Shins : The Shins (30th Jan. @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro)2004Riding with Los Lobos : Los Lobos (4th Oct. @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro)Ron Sexsmith is Canadian : (29th Sept. @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro)Soul Flower Power : Soul Flower Union (12th Jun @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro) |