Album Review: The Shins - Heartworms

​Heartworms is somewhat contradictory. At times, The Shins sound as youthful and as energetic as ever. At others, James Mercer and co create an almost quintessential 'adult contemporary' sound; lyrically rich yet musically safe pop.

Luckily for fans of the band, the record leans more towards the former. "I took the drugs but the drugs didn't take" (album highlight Half A Million) is just one of the many lines Mercer shares that speak to an exuberance he and his band have retained.

If Heartworms was the first Shins record you'd heard, you'd be surprised to know that the band has been around for more than 20 years. For long-time fans though, a close listen reveals a different sound to their first two records, 2001's Oh, Inverted World and 2003's Chutes Too Narrow. In fact, scrolling through the band's back catalogue, Heartworms follows the general trend and a natural progression from 2012's Port Of Morrow. As they've matured they've added layers of density to their sound, like the doubled vocal lines on the title track, consistent ride cymbals in The Fear and an overall slightly slower tempo. While these elements make Heartworms less innocent than The Shins we're used to, they make it no less enjoyable.