SHINS - Chutes Too Narrow (20th Anniversary) LP

Remastered. Housed in die-cut sleeve.

Looking back on indie rock of the noughts, we think this easily holds up among the very best the decade/genre has to offer (along with Illinois, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and a handful of others). This isn't an ambitious concept piece or a radical deconstruction or anything. It's just ten exceptional songs with perfect melodies, perfect arrangements, and perfect lyrics.

One must admire how nimbly Chutes Too Narrow skips between genres while always retaining a "Shins" overall sound. Country rock, baroque pop, surf rock, jangle, folk rock. Each song has its own flavor but the whole thing never devolves into pastiche or parody.