POLLing in a sack: The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow at 20

was utterly obsessed with this record in high school, way more than oh inverted world. impossible for me to choose between "saint simon" and "fighting in a sack"

checked the trusty old itunes and "saint simon" is my most played, followed closely by "gone for good" and "young pilgrims," and i still think that those are the three best. throw in "fighting in a sack" and "lipless" as well.

"saint simon" is possibly the most odessey and oracle a non-zombies band has every sounded

*ever

I was 20 when this came out and it got heavy rotation. If you'd asked me at the time I would have said 'Saint Simon', and it's likely going to win the poll. But these days I most frequently get 'Gone for Good' stuck in my head. Something about the country guitars, and the lyrical snippets about fatal flaws and fence-sitting.

However, I voted for 'Those to Come'. Absolutely magical album closer. My vinyl copy came warped from the factory, and it has this woozy in and out of tune vibe. Imagined my suprise when Spotify came out and I discovered what the song is actually meant to sound like. Regardless, it has such a still and gentle atmosphere that I find utterly transfixing. Adore the lyrics too - pale and mild, a modern girl, making tea in your underwear. Yep, this song for sure.

Saint Simon then and now (confirmed when they played it last year)

how is this album 20 years old

I don't remember making this association at the time, but in hindsight, this album has a lot of Decemberists energy.

Pink Bullets vs Saint Simon vs Kissing The Lipless

I normally have no idea what he's talking about, but this couplet always stuck with me: "you wanna fight for this love, but honey you cannot wrestle a dove"

this album, Kish Kash, and Elliott Smith's passing have always been linked in my memory of that time but I guess I forgot how close together they actually were

this was a high school fav, revisited it recently and ended up spinning it a bunch of times, still good stuff

don't have a strong favorite track but going with pink bullets. that harmonica

the part in "kissing the lipless" where the electric guitar kicks in blew me away on first listen

^Yep, plus the way the melody twists and turns and soars. It gets my vote

Can't wait to listen again before voting

such a tremendous album.

2003 was a beast for fans of indie rock.

throwing some love to "Mine's Not A High Horse", love the guitars on this.
"Gone For Good" is the one you'd throw on a playlist tho.

I didn't remember them getting this much screentime (and this isn't all of their appearance in the episode)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hubqJrpzjpY

Haven't listened to it in 18 or 19 years but I remember I liked the third song and the last song

I'd love to be all cool and critical-perspective on this, but its intoxicating melodies and brutal, self-lacerating lyrics pierced me then and now. I've no defence.
Wish Mercer hadn't been such an ass to this wonderful band.

the part in "kissing the lipless" where the electric guitar kicks in blew me away on first listen

― butch wig (diamonddave85)

I only heard this record in 2010. I must have read a review to make me listen to it, because I hadn't heard them before (and haven't heard any of his/their other music since).
I liked a handful of songs here a lot. I'm voting for "Mine's Not a High Horse" on account of the effervescent beat, and the inventiveness to extract something new out of the old I - V - IV chord progression in the chorus (maybe because the I is actually the ♭VII of the verse).
Mercer is kind of a modest vocal chameleon - I hear Scott Miller on "Mine's Not a High Horse", Robert Smith on "So Says I", and Carl Newman on "Turn a Square".

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

going with “gone for good”

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

missed this poll but would've voted "So Says I"

"fighting in a sack" is a fun little rocker (woo! *harmonica solo*), would've thrown it a vote if i knew no one else would!

i think i forgot to vote for "fighting in a sack"

Saint Simon woulda been mine, well done

Listening now for the first time in years. Album holds up remarkably well. Would have voted Pink Bullets probably but that would probably change depending on mood as there are so many good options.

Agreed, 100%. I had forgotten how much I loved this record.

And there are so many contenders--I think I'd go with "Saint Simon," it's a beautiful song.

A good record, too sweet perhaps, but that's me and many male guitar bands. I like how the melodies complement Mercer's lyrical obliqueness

tell sir thomas more, we've got another failed attempt

Shins fans... question that's been bugging me about a song that seems to borrow a trick/melody from a Shins song (I think):

https://vimeo.com/123118943

Does this song crib from an early (first 2 albums) song by The Shins or am I misguided? The 2nd lines of the verses where the melody walks up to/explores a higher register in particular. Seems kinda Shins-y to me but idk.