WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
The Shins arrived in 2001 with
Oh, Inverted
World, an album of jaunty, hook-laden pop songs with a strong undercurrent
of longing. Their rise to indie celebrity sped up when Natalie Portman told
Zach Braff in the 2004 cult hit
Garden State that The Shins will “change
your life.” That might have been a bit of an overstatement, but on their third
and latest album,
Wincing the Night Away, we love how intimate and
familiar they sound, stirring up nostalgia for something we feel like we’ve
known all along. They’re zany and offbeat, yet their music is melodic, and
James Mercer’s dreamy voice is as soothing as your favorite old sweater. See
what we mean when they appear at 7:30 p.m. at the
Orpheum Theatre (1
Hamilton Place, Boston, 617.482.0106). For tickets ($30), visit
www.livenation.com.
