Wincing the Night Away
Encyclopedia
Wincing the Night Away is a Grammy
-nominated album by indie rock
group The Shins
. It was released by Sub Pop Records
on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop. The album was recorded in James Mercer
's basement studio, Phil Ek
’s home in Seattle, and in Oregon City
with veteran producer Joe Chiccarelli (Frank Zappa
, Oingo Boingo
).
, working with Pink Martini
. At the time Mercer was recording the new Shins album on his own and finding that it wasn't going the way he wanted and at the speed he wanted. Frustrated and in need of fresh objective feedback he sought Chiccarelli's advice and suggestions, before the producer eventually became involved in a professional capacity.
The duo didn't start the record from scratch; while they started some songs completely anew, they also retained some of the material that Mercer had been recording on his own. According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters
, the duo spent around two months working together on the album.
". As reported in Rolling Stone
magazine, it is a reference to band member James Mercer
's "crippling insomnia
". "Sleeping Lessons", the title of the first track, also references insomnia and was considered as a possible album title.
Prior to the album's release, Mercer confirmed Wincing the Night Away as the album title in an August 2006 interview with Billboard
.
on October 16, 2006. The first single, "Phantom Limb", was released on iTunes
on November 14, 2006 and reached physical retailers on November 21. The new album was previewed in its entirety on the band's MySpace
.
The album was leaked from a promo copy on October 20, 2006. Sub Pop responded by hiring a UK company to track down the source of the leak.
On January 9, 2007, iTunes accidentally put the album on sale two weeks before its official release, then removed the option to purchase a day later. It is unknown how many people purchased the album within these two days.
Sub Pop Records also released the album as a vinyl LP
, which includes a free coupon to download the album in mp3 format.
chart, selling in excess of 100,000 copies. This is the highest chart position reached by not only The Shins, but the whole Sub Pop
label as well. During the same week, it also appeared as the top album in four other category charts: Top Digital Albums, Top Rock Albums, Tastemakers, and Top Independent Albums.
In the album's second week on the Billboard 200, it fell to number eight and sold about 53,000 copies. Like Oh, Inverted World
, the album went Gold.
" on the third album, even though it is subdermally present in the previous two albums as well. Wincing the Night Away is The Shins' most musically diverse and experimental album yet, ranging from hip-hop loops to psychedelic
to Hawaiian folk
to New Wave
and post-punk
elements.
. However, the more positive reviews still praise the album highly. For example, the Austin Chronicle says that Wincing "makes both [previous] albums sound like fragmented potential". The New Musical Express states that the album is "their best yet". More negative reviews came from Dusted Magazine, which said "this is music that not only is mature enough to know that it can't change the world, but is content to not try", while Village Voice said "filler tunes like "Pam Berry" and "Black Wave" are a far cry from the tenacious stuff that made Chutes the subject of lavish hyperbole"
.
The Japanese edition of the album contains two additional tracks, "Nothing at All" and "Spilt Needles" (alternate version), both taken from the "Phantom Limb" single. "Nothing at All" is also included on the album when purchased on iTunes.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated album by indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
. It was released by Sub Pop Records
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop. The album was recorded in James Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
's basement studio, Phil Ek
Phil Ek
Phil Ek is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. Ek began his career in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1990s recording live sound in clubs. He then moved into studio recording, recording small projects and demos for local bands. Around this time, Ek was frequently working with...
’s home in Seattle, and in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
with veteran producer Joe Chiccarelli (Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
).
Writing and recording
Producer Chiccareli had become acquainted with Mercer while in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, working with Pink Martini
Pink Martini
Pink Martini is a 13-member "little orchestra" from Portland, Oregon, formed in 1994 by pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale. They draw inspiration from music from all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop.-History:...
. At the time Mercer was recording the new Shins album on his own and finding that it wasn't going the way he wanted and at the speed he wanted. Frustrated and in need of fresh objective feedback he sought Chiccarelli's advice and suggestions, before the producer eventually became involved in a professional capacity.
The duo didn't start the record from scratch; while they started some songs completely anew, they also retained some of the material that Mercer had been recording on his own. According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
, the duo spent around two months working together on the album.
Title
The title is a play on the name of a Sam Cooke song, "Twistin' the Night AwayTwistin' the Night Away
"Twistin' the Night Away" is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was released as a single in 1962 and became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B chart ,...
". As reported in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, it is a reference to band member James Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
's "crippling insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
". "Sleeping Lessons", the title of the first track, also references insomnia and was considered as a possible album title.
Prior to the album's release, Mercer confirmed Wincing the Night Away as the album title in an August 2006 interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
Prerelease
The full track listing was announced by Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
on October 16, 2006. The first single, "Phantom Limb", was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on November 14, 2006 and reached physical retailers on November 21. The new album was previewed in its entirety on the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
The album was leaked from a promo copy on October 20, 2006. Sub Pop responded by hiring a UK company to track down the source of the leak.
On January 9, 2007, iTunes accidentally put the album on sale two weeks before its official release, then removed the option to purchase a day later. It is unknown how many people purchased the album within these two days.
Sub Pop Records also released the album as a vinyl LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, which includes a free coupon to download the album in mp3 format.
Release
Wincing the Night Away debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling in excess of 100,000 copies. This is the highest chart position reached by not only The Shins, but the whole Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
label as well. During the same week, it also appeared as the top album in four other category charts: Top Digital Albums, Top Rock Albums, Tastemakers, and Top Independent Albums.
In the album's second week on the Billboard 200, it fell to number eight and sold about 53,000 copies. Like Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World
Oh, Inverted World is the first album by The Shins, released on June 19, 2001 to critical acclaim. Omnibus Records put out an initial run of vinyl distributed by Darla...
, the album went Gold.
Description
Mercer stated that the band was "stretching out" on the new album, and that the extended recording period had given them more time to develop their ideas. He hoped to address more of the "human conditionHuman condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
" on the third album, even though it is subdermally present in the previous two albums as well. Wincing the Night Away is The Shins' most musically diverse and experimental album yet, ranging from hip-hop loops to psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
to Hawaiian folk
Music of Hawaii
The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Hawaii's musical contributions to the music of the United States are out of proportion to the state's small size. Styles like slack-key guitar are well-known...
to New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
elements.
Reception
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Wincing the Night Away is rated slightly lower on average than its predecessor, Chutes Too NarrowChutes Too Narrow
Chutes Too Narrow is The Shins' 2003 follow-up to their debut album, Oh, Inverted World. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Young Pilgrims." The album was well-received by critics, garnering an overall score of 88/100 on Metacritic...
. However, the more positive reviews still praise the album highly. For example, the Austin Chronicle says that Wincing "makes both [previous] albums sound like fragmented potential". The New Musical Express states that the album is "their best yet". More negative reviews came from Dusted Magazine, which said "this is music that not only is mature enough to know that it can't change the world, but is content to not try", while Village Voice said "filler tunes like "Pam Berry" and "Black Wave" are a far cry from the tenacious stuff that made Chutes the subject of lavish hyperbole"
Track listing
All songs written by James MercerJames Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
.
- "Sleeping Lessons" – 3:58
- "AustraliaAustralia (The Shins song)"Australia" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the second track on their third album, Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2007....
" – 3:57 - "Pam Berry" – 0:57
- "Phantom LimbPhantom Limb (song)"Phantom Limb" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fourth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download and a week later on CD. On January 22,...
" – 4:48 - "Sea LegsSea Legs (song)"Sea Legs" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fifth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the fourth single from that album in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2007 as a digital download. The 7" was limited to only 500 copies and...
" – 5:23 - "Red Rabbits" – 4:33
- "Turn on MeTurn on Me"Turn on Me" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the seventh track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the third single from that album in the UK on September 3, 2007....
" – 3:41 - "Black Wave" – 3:19
- "Spilt Needles" – 3:46
- "Girl Sailor" – 3:44
- "A Comet Appears" – 3:49
The Japanese edition of the album contains two additional tracks, "Nothing at All" and "Spilt Needles" (alternate version), both taken from the "Phantom Limb" single. "Nothing at All" is also included on the album when purchased on iTunes.
Singles
- "Phantom Limb"Phantom Limb (song)"Phantom Limb" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fourth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download and a week later on CD. On January 22,...
(with B-side "Nothing at All", which was also available as an iTunes pre-order only track) - "AustraliaAustralia (The Shins song)"Australia" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the second track on their third album, Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2007....
" - "Turn on MeTurn on Me"Turn on Me" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the seventh track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was released as the third single from that album in the UK on September 3, 2007....
" - "Sea LegsSea Legs (song)"Sea Legs" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fifth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the fourth single from that album in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2007 as a digital download. The 7" was limited to only 500 copies and...
" (UK)
Personnel
- James MercerJames Mercer (musician)James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
– vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizers, ukelele, banjo, cat piano, percussion, beat and MIDI programming - Marty Crandall – synthesizers, organ, bass, percussion
- Dave HernandezDave HernandezDave Hernandez plays guitar and bass in the American indie band The Shins.Hernandez met Shins frontman James Mercer when both lived in Albuquerque playing in underground bands in the early/mid 90s...
– bass, lead guitar - Jesse SandovalJesse SandovalJesse Sandoval is the former drummer of U.S. indie rock group The Shins. Sandoval initially formed Flake with singer-songwriter James Mercer, guitarist Neal Langford and bassist Marty Crandall in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1992...
– drums - Chris FunkChris FunkChristopher Lyman Funk is a multi-instrumentalist and member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band The Decemberists. He is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana where he worked at Front Porch Music which inspired his love of American Folk Music. He plays guitar, pedal steel, piano, violin,...
– lap steel on "Red Rabbits" and "A Comet Appears", hammered dulcimer and bouzouki on "A Comet Appears" - Eric Johnson – backing vocals and piano on "Girl Sailor"
- Anita Robinson – backing vocals on "Phantom Limb" and "Turn On Me"
- Paloma Griffin – violin on "Red Rabbits"
- Niels Gallaway – French horn on "A Comet Appears"
- Additional assistance by Jason McGerrJason McGerrJason McGerr is the current drummer for the band Death Cab for Cutie. McGerr was previously in Krusters Kronomid and Eureka Farm as well as the Seattle jazz trio Rockin' Teenage Combo. McGerr is an instructor at the Seattle Drum School when not playing drums for Death Cab for Cutie...
, Marisa Kula, Chris Jones, Bob Stark, Brian Lowe, Brian Vibberts, Kendra Lynn, Wes Johnson & Pete Tewes.
Production
- Produced by James Mercer and Joe Chiccarelli
- Mixed by Joe Chiccarelli
- Additional production on "Australia", "Girl Sailor", and "Phantom Limb" by Phil EkPhil EkPhil Ek is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. Ek began his career in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1990s recording live sound in clubs. He then moved into studio recording, recording small projects and demos for local bands. Around this time, Ek was frequently working with...
- Recorded by Sean Flora, Hiro Ninagawa, Brian Deck and Lars Fox
- Recorded at Supernatural Sound, Oregon City, OR; The Aural Apothecary, Portland, OR; Avast! 2, Seattle, WA
- Mastered by Emily Lazar and Sarah Register at The Lodge, NYC
- Design and illustration by Robert Mercer
External links
- The Shins Hit the Fans, Sub Pop Calls in the Sheriff - Idolator
- theshins.co.uk, The Shins UK fansite