Port of Morrow (album)
Port of Morrow | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 19, 2012[1] | |||
Recorded | May–October 2011 | |||
Studio | Echo Sound (Los Angeles, California) | |||
Genre | Alternative rock[2] | |||
Length | 40:13 | |||
Label | Aural Apothecary, Columbia | |||
Producer | Greg Kurstin, James Mercer | |||
The Shins chronology | ||||
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Singles from Port of Morrow | ||||
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Port of Morrow is the fourth studio album by American
Primarily a collaboration between Mercer and Kurstin, the album features contributions from former members:
The album debuted at number three on the
Background
In 2007, The Shins released their third studio album,
Mercer was initially intimidated to commit to the project,[3] but felt differently after attending the memorial service for actor Heath Ledger in 2008. Mercer felt very shy in contrast to Ledger; he observed Ledger was very engaged in conversation and held deep relationships. Noting that the outpouring of emotion at the service changed him, Mercer decided to change his pace and began saying "yes" to new experiences.[4] Enjoying the fresh approach with Broken Bells in regards to meeting new musicians, Mercer desired to continue that feeling. Mercer parted ways with longtime bandmates Dave Hernandez, Marty Crandall and Jesse Sandoval, terming it "an aesthetic decision."[5][6] Sandoval instead told The Portland Mercury he was "unequivocally fired" from the group.[7] Sandoval elaborated on Mercer's decision, noting that "When I think about this, probably if James really had complete say in it, he would have killed the Shins."[7] Mercer would later relate that his decision was "tremendously difficult," but instead wished to view it as a new phase.[4] When Mercer made a comment in NME that he was drawn to Broken Bells because The Shins "had started to feel heavy," fans of the band began to speculate that the band was perhaps over.[6]
Port of Morrow was in the earliest stages of development in early 2009, when Mercer debuted such tracks as "The Rifle's Spiral" at live performances.[5] Working with Burton on Broken Bells helped Mercer overcome fears of collaboration, which in turn influenced the rotating "cast of characters" that grouped together around him to record Port of Morrow. Mercer returned to The Shins as the only original member. "I always loved these auteurs who presented themselves as bands," Mercer later explained, referencing Neutral Milk Hotel and Lilys as examples, which led to him feeling as though he could pursue something similar, allowing the concept of The Shins to carry on.[4] For Port of Morrow, The Shins left their longtime label, Sub Pop, for Mercer's own label, Aural Apothecary.[5]
Artwork and recording
Producer Greg Kurstin had a particular influence on Port of Morrow, encouraging Mercer to experiment in the studio.[8][9] During the recording, Mercer was commuting each week, flying from Portland to Los Angeles to record with producer Greg Kurstin at his studio. Mercer brought songs written as far back as 2007, such as "Simple Song," which was written on the living room floor of his former house.[10] Former Shins bandmates Marty Crandall and Dave Hernandez appear as guest musicians on Port of Morrow. Feeling that both musicians have a certain tone and style that would suit a song, Mercer simply called them up to ask regardless of any possible acrimony.[8] While working on the album, Mercer felt he might have waited too long to record a follow-up, fearing that he might be in a similar situation as The Stone Roses, whose reputation fell hard when they waited five years to record a sophomore record.[9]
Regarding the album's artwork, artist Jacob Escobedo stated, "After working with
Music
Composition
Port of Morrow incorporates a palette of vintage-inspired sounds inspired by Mercer and producer Greg Kurstin's upbringing in Germany in the 1970s. The German imagery found on Port of Morrow was inspired by avant-garde pop, artists such as Faust and Can, as well as Brian Eno's production work.[3] An instrumental break in "Fall of '82," for example, features a trumpet solo performed by Nathaniel Walcott. The vintage element was inspired by bands such as Steely Dan and Chicago.[12] Spin called Port of Morrow a "brighter, poppier beast than previous ventures, filled with spacey '70s keyboards and surprisingly straightforward lyrics."[4] The instrumental arrangements on Port of Morrow are highly layered, which an extension of Mercer's desire to make the songs "as interesting and engaging as possible."[3]
Lyrics
When writing ["Port of Morrow"], it popped into my head and I was thinking of it as death, like what’s beyond the exit point, the 'port of morrow', the port into tomorrow? [...] Everyone’s future is death. That’s a very dark way to look at it, but in the song it just happened to fit in with that thing. Like the ace of spades, port of morrow, life is death, death is life.
Mercer has stated in interviews that the main themes on Port of Morrow include love (inspired by his newfound domestic life and fatherhood) and the dual nature of life—the beautiful and the grotesque—being intertwined.
"Fall of '82" is directly inspired by events from Mercer's own life, detailing his rough transition from his childhood in
Singles
- On January 9, 2012, the first single, "Simple Song", was released via the band's website.
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.0/10[16] |
Metacritic | 72/100[17] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [18] |
The A.V. Club | B−[19] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[20] |
The Guardian | [2] |
The Independent | [21] |
Los Angeles Times | [22] |
NME | 6/10[23] |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10[24] |
Rolling Stone | [25] |
Spin | 7/10[26] |
Port of Morrow was released to generally favorable reviews from music critics.
The album was ranked #48 on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012.[37]
Track listing
All tracks are written by James Mercer
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Rifle's Spiral" | 3:30 |
2. | "Simple Song" | 4:15 |
3. | "It's Only Life" | 4:02 |
4. | "Bait and Switch" | 3:23 |
5. | "September" | 3:33 |
6. | "No Way Down" | 3:16 |
7. | "For a Fool" | 3:57 |
8. | "Fall of '82" | 3:48 |
9. | "40 Mark Straße" | 4:39 |
10. | "Port of Morrow" | 5:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
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11. | "Pariah King" | 4:11 |
12. | "The Waltz Is Over" | 4:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Simple Song" (acoustic version) | 4:00 |
2. | "September" (acoustic version) | 3:26 |
3. | "It's Only Life" (acoustic version) | 4:04 |
4. | "Young Pilgrims" (acoustic version) | 3:01 |
Personnel
The Shins
- James Mercer – vocals, guitars, additional drums (track 1), glockenspiel (track 3), lap steel guitar and percussion (track 5)
- Greg Kurstin – keyboards, guitars (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7), bass (tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, 10), piano (tracks 2, 4, 9, 10), organ (tracks 4, 9, 10), percussion (tracks 6, 10), drums (track 8)
- Joe Plummer – drums (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
- Ron Lewis – bass (tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, 9)
Additional musicians
- Dave Hernandez – lead guitar (tracks 2, 3, 4)
- Eric D. Johnson – piano (track 3), background vocals (tracks 3, 4), additional keyboards (track 10)
- Janet Weiss – drums (tracks 1, 2, 10)
- Nik Freitas – lead guitar (tracks 6, 7, 9)
- Marty Crandall– additional keyboards (track 5)
- Nathaniel Walcott – trumpet and flugelhorn (track 8)
Recording personnel
- Greg Kurstin – producer, recording
- James Mercer – co-producer
- Jesse Shatkin – additional engineer
- Graeme Gibson – additional engineer
- Rich Costey – mixing
- Brian Lucey – mastering
- Jacob Escobedo – artwork, layout and design
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ^ Bychawski, Adam (March 13, 2012). "The Shins stream new album 'Port Of Morrow' online – listen". Nme.com. Time, Inc. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (March 15, 2012). "The Shins: Port of Morrow – review". The Guardian. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j McDonnell, Tim (March 12, 2012). "Catching Up With the Shins' James Mercer". Mother Jones. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Clarke, Kelly (February 22, 2012). "The SPIN Interview: James Mercer". Spin. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ a b Montgomery, James (January 28, 2010). "Shins Will Return After James Mercer Is Done With Broken Bells, He Says". MTV News. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ a b Hyden, Steven (March 17, 2012). "Interview: James Mercer of The Shins". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Sisario, Ben (March 16, 2012). "The Second Act Of an Indie Success Story". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ Horner, Al (April 4, 2012). "Q&a The Shins' James Mercer - on Port Of Morrow, pirate hats & living in Elliott Smith's old house". Q. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "I Can See for Miles: The Art of Jacob Escobedo". Love and Dishwater Tablets. March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ "On Port Of Morrow, The Shins Sail Back To The 1970s". NPR. March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c Mercer, James (March 23, 2012). "Life, Death and Broken Bells: DiS meets James Mercer (The Shins)". Drowned in Sound (Interview). Interviewed by Sean Adams. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Rubino, Jerry (March 15, 2012). "Last.fm Presents: James Mercer of The Shins". Last.fm Presents. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Magnet Web Exclusive: The Shins' James Mercer on the new Port of Morrow". Magnet. March 26, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ "Port of Morrow by The Shins reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ "Reviews for Port of Morrow by The Shins". Metacritic. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Port of Morrow – The Shins". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ^ a b Hyden, Steven (March 19, 2012). "The Shins: Port of Morrow". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ Rahman, Ray (March 14, 2012). "Port of Morrow". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ Gill, Andy (March 16, 2012). "Album: The Shins, Port of Morrow (Columbia)". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ^ Beaumont, Mark (March 16, 2012). "The Shins – 'Port of Morrow'". NME. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice, Larry (March 19, 2012). "The Shins: Port of Morrow". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Dolan, Jon (March 20, 2012). "Port of Morrow". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ Martins, Chris (March 21, 2012). "The Shins, 'Port of Morrow' (Aural Apothecary/Columbia)". Spin. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ Wyeth, Wyndham (March 20, 2012). "The Shins: Port of Morrow". Paste. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ^ Lundy, Zeth (March 23, 2012). "Review: Port of Morrow". The Boston Phoenix. Boston: Stephen M. Mindich. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ISSN 0955-4955.
- ISSN 1351-0193.
- ^ Aston, Martin (March 12, 2012). "The Shins: Port of Morrow: Review". BBC Music. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ISSN 1368-0722.
- ^ Cole, Matthew (20 March 2012). "Review: The Shins, Port of Morrow". Slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ Greg Kot (March 19, 2012). "Album review: The Shins, Port of Morrow". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ISSN 1065-1667.
- ^ "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2012". Stereogum.com. December 5, 2012. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Shins – Port of Morrow" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Shins – Port of Morrow" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Shins Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Shins – Port of Morrow" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Shins". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Charts.nz – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Shins – Port of Morrow". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
- ^ "The Shins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Shins Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Shins Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Shins Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.