Oh, Inverted World

Great album, but if you want a review of the sounds, go to a dedicated music review site.Came in quickly, with case and disc in good condition.

Want to know what all the fuss is about? OH, INVERTED WORLD is a good place to begin listening to the band that everyone has been talking about since  GARDEN STATE . Mixing folky, distorted guitars with pointed lyrics, the Shins craft articulate, concise guitar-pop. By focusing on melody, the songs on OH, INVERTED WORLD make for a pleasant listen, but the additional songwriting touches are what keeps fans coming back for more. The Shins' OH, INVERTED WORLD is an album that is accessible, but my appreciation for it grows with repeated listenings. The band has a way of creating music that, at first glance, appears to be simple. The truth is, the music here is littered with nuance.The album begins with "Caring is Creepy," and it sets the tone and mood for most of the rest of the album. It's guitar-centric, pop-rock. Don't mistake "pop" here for "mainstream" or "pandering" though. These songs are heartfelt and earnest. Most of the music appears conventional on the surface of it all; the Shins have all the elements of a traditional rock band. What makes the band stand out from the rest of similar acts is the way that these positions interplay with one another. The biggest change of pace/tone happens with "New Slang:" a hushed, folky acoustic song. This detour scores well for the album and makes for one of the more memorable and enjoyable tracks on a great record. Songwriter James Mercer's lyrics are generally good humored; they can be tongue in cheek, but there is a darker undercurrent to it all. The closest comparison I can make is Sun Kil Moon. The album concludes with "The Past and Pending," a more mellow ballad that makes fantastic use of a trombone interlude. It's a satisfying conclusion; it leaves a good taste in your ears' mouths.Fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, or Arcade Fire should check this band out. Standout tracks to sample/download: "New Slang," "Girl on the Wing," and "Caring is Creepy." For pre-exisiting Shins listeners, this debut is worth the time: one of the best in their catalog. OH, INVERTED WORLD is a great album to listen to for pleasure or to pick apart for study.

This is a purely wonderful CD as is Shutes Too Narrow as well. A reasonably unique sound and melodic, interesting songs. I REALLY wish that all the self-appointed audiophile critics would restrain from criticizing the SOUNDS of CDs here at Amazon, as it is an utterly MEANINGLESS thing to do - being that music, the listening to and enjoyment of it is a sheerly SUBJECTIVE thing. Music is about the emotion and energy of the performance - worrying about the sound of a record means one is missing the point of music: Lo-fi is NOT a fashion or borne from some desire to be cool; it's a function of financial and technological realities - that VERY few artists have access to massive or advanced recording facilities or budgets for them. That should never detract from the music. Unless it's completely inaudible, or a classical recording - critiques on sound quality are entirely UN-necessary! This CD sounds perfectly fine for what it is and the artist comes across beautifully. If you like great hummable, thought-provoking songs get this CD you won't be disappointed - so long as you're not busy trying to decide if the technical merits are to your liking!

I've gradually started building up a collection of albums I love on vinyl. I don't want to end up with 1000's of records so my criteria is to only buy those albums on which I love every track and this is one of them.Now for the real question - does it sound better on vinyl? Well let's put it this way - if you never cared much for the album in the first place it won't make a difference if you bought it on vinyl however if you love the album then the small difference that the vinyl mix has is definitely large enough to notice. I love the way the acoustic guitars are mixed in and the basslines definitely pop out more.As for the release itself there's nothing fancy about it. Plain old black record with a page for song lyrics and there's a code in the package for an mp3 download.

I received an excellent copy, the vinyl was perfect.This was my first experience with The Shins, and I like it. I will very likely buy their other releases as well. This release is a blend of what strikes me as 60s-style pop with a psychedelic edge.I hear influence from Pink Floyd, but from the Syd Barrett era. While the band has their own sound, I still also hear whispers of influence from The Hollies, The Cure, and perhaps even some from XTC.This was a great introduction for me.

I have little to add to the other positive reviews for this CD. I'm only sorry I let this languish in my "save for later" pile on Amazon for so long before buying it. So refreshing to buy one of these much-ballyhooed indie releases and not, for once, feel deeply disappointed. Part of the secret here is that the Shins don't make the mistake so many other bands make... they don't milk their songs by either stretching them out into interminable dross or by stuffing their CD with weak tracks. Shins also have a good diversity of styles/moods here... I like the simple, folksy "The Past and Pending" best, but also appreciate the more traditional rock sound of "Girl On The Wing." For some strange reason this CD reminds me of Guided by Voices' album "Bee Thousand" though the latter is quite a bit edgier.

This review is more about the quality of the vinyl than the music itself. I'm not a music reviewer, although IMO this is one of their best, most underrated albums. The quality of the vinyl is excellent. Great sound quality, with flat, quiet vinyl. Definitely worth the 11 dollar price tag. Get this record!

Such a good album and the vinyl is in great condition!

Prensagem maravilhosa para um álbum maravilhoso. Palco sonoro é grande. O violão acústico é nítido. Tudo é perfeito nesta prensagem. Altamente recomendado.

I can't exactly explain how, but this album (especially New Slang ofc) gives me a strong feeling of nostalgia. Its beautiful and everyone should atleast try and give it a listen

Fav album, sounds even better on vinyl

Fundamental en la discografía de "the shins", todas las canciones son hipnóticas. James Mercer en estado de gracia. Un vocalista único.

Gli Shins sono stati una delle migliori scoperte fatte nell'ambito del pop americano che ho fatto negli ultimi anni e questo il loro album che preferisco.Ad un prezzo interessantissimo!