Shins, The - Port Of Morrow [LP] (180 Gram, download, reissue)

Port of Morrow is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Shins. Co-produced by Greg Kurstin and frontman James Mercer, the album was released March 20, 2012. The Shins' first studio album in five years, following the release of 2007's Wincing the Night Away, the Band's fourth effort followed major lineup changes in the group: founding members Dave Hernandez (bass, guitar), Marty Crandall (keyboards) and Jesse Sandoval (drums) departed in 2009. Mercer deemed it an "aesthetic decision" to part ways with his bandmates, and in the interim, founded side project Broken Bells with Danger Mouse. Primarily a collaboration between Mercer and Kurstin, the album features contributions from former members, Dave Hernandez, Marty Crandall, Eric D. Johnson and Ron Lewis, alongside current drummer Joe Plummer, and other studio contributors including Janet Weiss and Nik Freitas. Mercer penned lyrics based around his newfound fatherhood and the love for his family, as well as nostalgic memories of his childhood in Germany and his rough adolescent transition to the United States. Musically, Port of Morrow is inspired by 1970s German pop and is melodic and heavily layered, while adding a greater emphasis on electronica instrumentation.