Pitchfork

Reality television, actors-turned-governors, and wrestlers-turned-rappers aside, it's hard to think of many things that elicit cynicism and offhand dismissal like a sophomore album on the heels of a hyped debut. The dreaded "sophomore slump" is hardly a fictional pitfall fabricated by bitter music journalists and defensive cred-mongers; the pressures of turning out a second record can be crippling for bands who've encountered early success, and it often results in an album that pales in contrast to its predecessor. Yet, for every band that falters in the wake of initial success, there's another that puts their newfound experience to work for them, producing a second record-- a sophomore hump, if you will-- that delivers upon all the promise of their first. And with Chutes Too Narrow, the second album from much-lauded Pacific Northwest popsters The Shins, that sophomore hump is in full effect.

Arriving on a wave of pre-release hype in 2001, The Shins' debut record, Oh! Inverted World, immediately established itself as one of the most uniformly and universally likeable records of that year. Though not nearly the second coming of The Beach Boys as described by its most vocal proponents, the album was forged in melody and drenched in atmosphere, casting a thin but palpable haze over a beautifully arranged landscape of sincere hooks and sparse instrumentation. It was an immediately inviting formula, if one that ultimately proved limiting; the blurred sonics that blanketed the record also often smothered it, dulling the focus and clarity that frontman James Mercer skirted during the album's most powerful passages.

On Chutes Too Narrow, the blanket has been lifted, and the complexity and grace revealed underneath possess a surprisingly depth. Every instrument is allowed to exist in its own space, no longer smoothed together by excessive reverb. Mercer's voice resides comfortably at the front of the mix, revealing previously undiscovered layers of emotional subtlety and expressiveness. Every sound and syllable is perfectly and distinctly articulated, granting the album a much greater capacity for detail and profundity.

And then there are the songs. Dear god, the songs! The uniqueness and inventiveness of James Mercer's melodic sensibility simply cannot be overstated. On Chutes Too Narrow, as with its predecessor, Mercer makes brilliant use of his formidable vocal range, writing soaring melodies every bit as original as they are memorable. "Saint Simon", one of two or three songs on the record that could easily contend for song of the year, sees Mercer exploring an almost Bacharach-ian level of melodic sophistication. The track is host to an elegance of exposition and development not even hinted at on Oh! Inverted World, as it seamlessly segues from a straightforward pop hook to an ungodly gorgeous choral segment, replete with lush strings and chiming guitars. By the time Mercer reenters with a perfectly aching vocal melody, it's almost unbearable-- this is the kind of song that overwhelms simply with the intricacy of its beauty.

The evolution of Mercer's songwriting extends wonderfully into the louder songs on Chutes Too Narrow, as well. "Kissing the Lipless", the album's leadoff track, blissfully transgresses the restraint of Oh! Inverted World, building to an impossibly powerful chorus that slyly mirrors the melody of its verses. Indeed, while many pop songwriters seem to use verses simply as something to kill time between anthemic choruses, Mercer manages to squeeze some of the album's most memorable moments into places most songwriters would neglect or ignore. "So Says I", the album's first single, excels largely through the subtle variations worked into its verses, and enjoys its strongest moment in the transcendent harmonies that adorn a brief, seamless bridge.

The attention to detail on Chutes Too Narrow is truly impressive, but the way that these details combine to form music so effortless and emotionally rich is astounding. Chutes Too Narrow is host to enough perfect moments to carry ten records, each one arising spontaneously from the multifaceted frame of a masterfully constructed song. The album may alienate some listeners by eschewing the instant and consistent gratification of Oh! Inverted World for more involved, developed songs, but the clarity and intricacy of these songs renders the record a much more rewarding listen. Not simply an excellent album, Chutes Too Narrow is also a powerful testament to pop music's capacity for depth, beauty and expressiveness.