Port of Morrow

The Shins - Port of Morrow
Critic Score
Based on 41 reviews
2012 Ratings: #630 / 1118
User Score
Based on 243 ratings
2012 Rank: #285
Liked by 12 people
March 20, 2012 / Release Date
LP / Format
Indie Rock / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
musicOMH

These are songs to fall in love to, to grow along with, and to share with friends in need of a life-change.

84
Pitchfork

Port of Morrow, the Shins' fourth studio album in 11 years, is a triumphant return from a project that once risked being reduced to an indie-went-mainstream tagline.

83
Entertainment Weekly

Frontman James Mercer ... and his new mates have conjured the band's best album in nearly a decade.

81
Coke Machine Glow
Clumsy it might be, familiar it might be; redundant it sure isn't quite yet.
80
Drowned in Sound

This collection of songs, though, is strong enough to endure even the most ardent attempts at mainstreaming.

80
Q Magazine

An album rich in kaleidoscopic colour to contrast the diluted greys of its sleeve, marked with the expert touch of true masters of their art.

80
The Independent
By the second listen, it's somehow found its place in one's affections, despite its lack of obvious hooks.
80
Mojo
A formidable piece of work, repositioning Mercer away from his Pacific Northwest indie rock peer group.
70
AllMusic

Questions of semantics and authenticity aside, Port of Morrow's songs are compelling enough to keep most fans listening and enjoying.

70
Rolling Stone

Port of Morrow has more of a studio-sculpture auteurist vibe than ever.

70
Slant Magazine

Most of the songs on Port of Morrow seem slack and not especially purposive.

70
Alternative Press

Challenging it's not, but its low-key loveliness makes it great for dinner parties where the company is almost as cool as Mercer's pre-Port track record.

70
Uncut
The pair's pop instincts ultimately prevail over more esoteric ambitions.
70
SPIN
The best songs bear the mark of an auteur weirding out, by himself.
69
Beats Per Minute

Port Of Morrow seems a unnecessary asterix on an already successful career, and one that I fear future Mercer albums will mimic.

67
A.V. Club

The Shins were once billed as a band that would change your life—Morrow sounds like a change of life.

60
The 405

Port of Morrow is certainly at its most impactful when it is stripped bare and we’re left with a man and his guitar, but sadly it’s a fleeting occurrence. 

60
The Observer

Smart and anthemic, "40 Mark Strasse" and the Waterboys-channelling "Simple Song" provide ample evidence of why Mercer's songs are so widely cherished. But there remains something a little clinical about the efficiency with which he dispatches these studies in perky wistfulness.

60
Prefix

The Shins as we knew them are no more, and though Port of Morrow introduces some interesting new angles to view Mercer’s songcraft, most of them won’t start any new indie revolutions.

60
NME

As ‘Port Of Morrow’ develops it becomes ever more knowingly arena-folk, shedding The Shins’ more esoteric edge. 

60
NOW Magazine
It's an interesting listen but doesn't leave a strong impression.
60
The Guardian
If it's not an album to turn the listener into a screaming proselyte, there's still enough magic to make it worthwhile.
60
No Ripcord

While there’s no doubt that Port of Morrow is well crafted, then, it fails because it is ultimately unmoving, and what Mercer has gained in style and execution is overshadowed by the album’s lack of either invention or sincerity.

60
Consequence of Sound

Port of Morrow captures Mercer in a different era, and although questionable at times, it’s a fruitful adventure that requires a little swinging and paddling.

60
Sputnikmusic

Port of Morrow seems much more a step sideways than forward for Mercer, not so much a dramatic comeback but more a compilation of greatest hits masquerading as new songs.

60
The Fly

‘Port Of Morrow’ is a glorious and confident return, even if it lacks a little darkness at times.

50
The Needle Drop
On the Shins' fourth album, the band bring some newer, bigger production to the table. However, the band doesn't exactly present the energy or personality to make these ambitious sounds exciting.
40
Under the Radar
An aesthetically perfect long player that dithers in the background.
40
PopMatters

Port of Morrow‘s problem isn’t how it sounds, but rather what it’s saying—which, whatever it is, doesn’t have a whole lot at stake.

40
Tiny Mix Tapes

Take Heed, Everyone: Shins Have Inoffensive New Songs. Plenty Of Respectable Tedium. Overall: Fair. Mercer Oughta Revisit Resplendent Oh, Inverted World.

depechemode4lif
77

I vibe with this album more than their debut. I have a fair amount of nostalgia for Simple Song as I remember when that song came out when I was younger and it was one of my favorites. Going back and listening to the album was oddly refreshing and I remembered how much I enjoyed this album

jimmylikesmusic
69

While I certainly enjoyed Port of Morrow, a lot of this album has a tendency to feel slightly same-y at times sadly. I think the majority of the songs here are good, but only one song on here actually stuck out as great to me and that was the opener, The Rifle's Spiral. That track was what I was hoping the rest of the album would be like, instrumentally the song is wonderful, there's a lot going on but it all works surprisingly well, the lyrics are vague and almost adventurous in a sense, and ... read more

85

There are so many good songs on this album. The problem? They all sound pretty similar, causing most of the songs to not be particularly memorable.

So while most of these songs are good individually, this album could have used a lot more variety in order to take it to the next level.

mnartriam
60

This album sounds very simple and bland the whole way through. With its one single, Simple Song, being the worst offender. That song… don’t even get me started.

Alright, you got me started. Holy fucking shit why did they throw the song in the garbage???? It’s got great lyrics, some good guitar, and a nice vibe overall. But the song literally doesn’t change anything the whole way through. After about a minute it feels like they just copied and pasted the ... read more

70

cute soundtrack to early 10s romcom wearing a beret lol.

listened to a fair lot as a teen. the tracks that stuck w me were; simple song, it's only life and for a fool. 'for a fool' reminds me of the book the song of achilles lmfao i would listen to that song and think of that book.... honestly that book was one of my first loves and changed my life. simple song reminds me of being 13/14, and the build-up i felt at 'and you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun' and the stomach drop i'd ... read more

80

The first two, and even three songs on this album are incredibly strong. Simple Song is even my fav Shins song. The rest of the album is pretty disappointing for me, and places this album much lower in comparison to Wincing the Night Away. Following the first three songs, this album is far less vibrant and exciting. The memorable songs from its predecessors are absent after the first three, and its pretty forgettable. Still, Mercer's vocals are fantastic, and its pretty solid overall.

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Added on: December 14, 2011