The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

The Shins' 2003 sophomore album found James Mercer sharpening the hooks and darkening the corners of the dreamy pop that made Oh, Inverted World a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Recorded largely in Mercer's own basement home studio before heading to Seattle's Avast! Recording Co. for mixing with longtime collaborator Phil Ek, Chutes Too Narrow pushed the band past its lo-fi beginnings into fuller, more confident arrangements without ever losing the melodic instinct that got people talking in the first place.

Across ten songs and just over thirty minutes, the album barely wastes a note. "Kissing the Lipless," "So Says I," and the aching "Saint Simon" showcase a band writing some of the most chiming, perfectly skewed pop of the early 2000s, while the closing run of "Gone for Good" and "Those to Come" gives the record one of the most quietly devastating one-two endings in the band's catalog. It's often cited as The Shins' most consistent record start to finish, and critics agreed at the time, with major outlets across print and web naming it one of the best releases of 2003 and, later, one of the defining albums of the decade.

This 2023 edition celebrates the album's 20th anniversary with a fresh remaster by Adam Ayan, supervised directly by James Mercer, ensuring the update stays true to the original's intent rather than smoothing it over. It arrives in a tri-fold, deluxe package built to match the music inside, a genuine upgrade for a record that's earned it.

A Sub Pop essential and a cornerstone of any indie rock collection.