I've often struggled over how to describe The Shins to friends. Like anyone, I like to have some witty phrase to give them as I hand the CD. Something to put a hook in. It's terrible, but the phrase I used to give the Shins was "good soft rock". How awful. They're neither.

The Shins are not good. They're something much loftier than that. The difference between good and great can be frustratingly difficult to describe, but it's almost always apparent. I mean, my friend Bob paints. His paintings are good. One is of him jammed inside a box, bound with rope. It's good. I loved it enough to hang in my office. But it's not Jasper Johns. Jasper Johns is truly great. The Shins are that kind of great - museum-quality great.

I don't know much about New Mexican culture, but clearly its closer to Midwest than Coastal. It's more grounded, less trendy, less self-centered, or, to put it in their words, "prone to care". The Shins reflect that. That's part of their greatness. Take "Young Pilgrim", an obviously autobiographical tale of misadventure and realization. It has substance. Yes, it's also beautiful. James Mercer's drifting, odd vocal progressions are gorgeous. But it's more than that: it's profound.

And, despite the vocal style and the not-ready-for-arena-rock sound, The Shins are not soft. They apply plenty of force - they just apply it smartly. Think about it: force applied consistently is just a push, but force applied quickly then removed is a punch. The Shins have punch. On "Kissing the Lipless", a sharp guitar is introduced to coincide with the phrase "a friendship scarred." That's punch. On "Turn a Square" the guitar solo has the wiggly texture of something from Saturday morning cartoons, but it makes you turn the volume up. Punch.

Two albums into the game, The Shins have already sealed their fate. No longer are they something we may look back on 10 years from now with second thoughts. They've set a standard for what indie rock can achieve. This is not a theory; this is not a supposition; this is fact. The Shins have already achieved greatness. Spread the word. Tell your friends. And when you do, when you come up with that clever phrase to describe them, let me know, will you?

If you like The Shins, check out:
The Beatles Rubber Soul
The Beatles Help!
The Byrds Notorious Byrd Brothers
Big Star No. 1 Record
The Shins Oh! Inverted World
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Spanish Dance Troupe

-- Carl Ogden