These guys can really cover every genre of music but what sets them apart are the lyrics and when they rock out. Great music.

I first heard the Shins off of the soundtrack "Garden State" and instantly loved their sound. The soundtrack featured "Caring is Creepy" and "A New Slang". I went out trying to find the album that had these songs but "Chutes Too Narrow" was the only one I could find, so I purchased it instead. I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I guess I was expecting a different sound. Right away I loved "So Says I" and "Saint Simon". I found that the more I listened to the album that I loved every song. I felt bad that I didn't feel impressed when I first bought it, because I was very wrong. James Mercer has a beautiful way of arranging his words making me feel that I can't get enough of the Shins. It's like that other guy said, you will find something new in each song as you listen to them over and over again.

On their softmore album, The shins shed alot of the overdubbed fluff and concentrate on good ol' honest to god songwriting. With the vocals suddenly thrust to the forfront instead of being buried behind layers of sound we find a real frontman whose words are competent and well placed who as groove and a nervous delivery to put in with the best of indie rock, alt-country and neo folk.

What really gets you about this album and indeed, the Shins in general is the depth. Repeated listens will give you new and exciting perspectives on the songs. It's one of those albums where eevry song on it ends up being your favorite at some point. Initial stand-out tracks are the bubbly jaunting pop of "Young Pilgrims", and the shiver inducing indie ballad "Pink Bullets". But each track here offers something subtly but wholly different. The jittery but smooth "So says I" will get right at you with a relentless drive and lyrical barrage. "Gone For Good" will please any country purist both musically and lyrically. Slide guitar and a bassline that may as well be belted through the lids of jars.

The plain fact is; this is a solid pop album. If you like music there should be no reason to not love this one. It'd be welcome in anyones music collection.

The Shins are truly unique. It's as if they are visiting us from a slightly parallel universe where whimsy and beauty are more highly prized.

The thing that stands out most in this exceptional album are the lyrical depths that this band manages to reach. Although most tracks are not immediately catching, once you listen to the lyrics it is impossible not to be hooked. I can't compliment this band enough, and anyone who appreciates music should definatly own this album!

These guys are the real deal. Comparing The Shins to The Beatles is not far fetched at all. If Mercer and the gang keep producing albums of this quality, they could easily attain legendary status. However you've managed to stumble upon The Shins, I congratulate you; it's only a matter of time before everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Get "Chutes Too Narrow" asap!

All of the songs on this album are at least pretty good. On some, though, the lyrics are too precious while on others the lyrics are somewhat opaque and the music is not interesting enough to balance the preciousness or make me want to pay close enough attention to cut through the opacity. On some songs, though, everything comes together and the music and lyrics complement eachother perfectly. 'Kissing the Lipless' and 'Young Pilgrims' are excellent but the real highlight is 'Pink Bullets'. Bittersweet!

...And I couldn't be happier! This album is easily one of my favorite of the past 5 years. I bought it having not ever heard them before (thank you Amazon Recommendations) and was thrilled from beginnig to end. I quickly snapped up Oh Inverted World and did not like it nearly as much. It's a much more somber album than Chutes and I find myself wishing for more "Kissing the Lipless" and "Turn A Square" and less "Caring is Creepy" and "Your Algebra". This time around James' voice is front and center. YAY! I often found myself wishing I could hear him better on their previous release.

If you're looking for the best of one of the better up & coming bands, snap this up.

There are those bands that you get addicted to for days at a time, sometimes weeks, if you're really lucky soemtimes months, but when you hear the Shins for tfe first time you wonder if you'll ever anything as good as them again. Chutes Too Narrow, The Shins second major release album, THIRD overall (first was under the name Flake Music, not the Shins), delivers an overall fantastic album and sure you can pinpoint one or two songs and that's how it is with cathcy bands like them but really it's the whole album that does it.
It was undeniably difficult to top such a fantastic album as Oh, Inverted World, but they took what they learned about releasing a major album and made each song on this album catchy, meaningful, and somewhat poppy (Sub-Pop is accurate in this sense). Saint Simon is maybe the best song on the album, but no where close to by a longshot. Everysingle song, from Kissing the Lipless to Gone for Good, has it's own unique mood but in the end you get a sense of being a little closer to complete. It's hard to describe what the Shins bring ino words, but that's why they write such great music.
The Shins are one of the few basement-recording-indie bands that have made it to big screen pictures and while New Slang is their most famous and best song written that doesn't mean the other's aren't right their with it. It's okay if you understand all their songs, they don't write direct lyrics like most bands. Worth noting, Kissing the Lipless and Turn a Square are two songs that don't recieve enough credit anywhere. Their new album is coming out this year, and if you love great music or anything that makes you understand this is worth buying.

Perhaps the best produced so far? You haven't heard real, un-commercial, awesome, music until you've heard these guys. They are the Mozart of the new millennium.

"Of course I was raised to gather courage from those lofty tales so tried and true."

Great second album from the Shins. This is a bit different than "Inverted World", but I like it evan better. There are so many types of music on this album that it keeps your attention from start to finish. "Young Pilgrims, is my favorite song on this album, it is striped down and raw, but truly great. "Pink Bullets " would be my next best song on this album.This is a very melodic album from start to finish. Although they are an indie band, they are rather slick in production and song writing. I like all the acoustic guitars on this album, something you don't hear that often. I would say this album really rocks without being goofy like so many other bands in this genre.

This album oozes with talent and originality without being at all pretentious. If it were a vacation, it would be one of those spontaneous, but cool as hell road trips with a few friends. There is not a dull moment on the album and every song, yes EVERY song is very good. There just isn't any filler material on this album. So throw on some shades, take the top down, and enjoy the ride.

I'm not clear why people like this album so much. Admittedly, the alt-rock world offers pretty slim pickings these days, but still, this album seems so mediocre. The production is flat and dull, the lyrics are kind of smug, and though the songs offer glimpses of real inspiration, they're overall kind of forced & generic sounding.

This is an album that struck me as good when I first heard it - but it wasn't immediately an album that I would put on repeat and listen to for hours. However, I found that one by one the songs grabbed me, and I went through phases of putting tracks like "Turn a Square" and "Kissing the Lipless" on repeat and they just get better every time I hear them. I've had the album now for about 8 months, and have only recently been grabbed by "Gone for Good". It's such a diverse and multi-layered album that listening to it and appreciating it is really quite a long drawn out process.
I've only listened to "Oh, Inverted World" a few times and so far it's not getting me the same way "Chutes" does, but I'm sure that like with "Chutes", it's just a matter of time.

I give this album a 4 stars mearly because I would only give a five star rating to 3 albums. Parachutes by Coldplay, Bends by Radiohead, and Ready to Die by Biggie.
I heard The Shins on the soundtrack "Garden State" and my exact reaction was "eh". Then my cousin gave me both Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow.

This CD is very similar to Parachutes in that every song is good. You can pop this one in as you go to bed, or if you are doing work or something. It is also a good CD to just sit down and listen to. Sort of a similar sound throughout the whole album like Jack Johnson, but every song is pretty catchy and makes you want to keep listening. This CD also strikes me because whenever I am walking around, I find my self singing one of their songs. I just cant get them out of my head. These guys kick ass, get these two albums

I just don't get it. People think this CD is comparable to Oh Inverted World? The only song that I like on this CD is "Saint Simon", which is absolutely phenomenal and why I'm willing to give the CD three stars.Saint Simon sounds more like the stuff from Oh, Inverted World with its baroque sound. Most of their other songs are much noisier and going off in a different direction from what they did before, and just don't measure up in my view.

i don't have anything witty or pre-fabricated like many of the reviews i've read on amazon, but, i can recommend the shins especially the "chutes" album. You'll find yourself humming and enjoying the melodies of a lot of these songs, or liking the catchy harmonies, or the "jangle" of the guitar might be to your liking. Whoever is writing the songs is extremely talented and witty. I grew up listening to Elvis Costello, Bowie, Petty, Cars, B52s, Clash, Blondie and 80s new-wave: if you are now in your mid-late 40s I guarantee you will enjoy the shins.

I read about this band in a couple of different magazines, and I loved the CD the first couple of times I heard it. (I listen to a CD twice before I have an opinion on it.) I hear lots of influences with each song, and some remind me of other bands. Rather than list them, I'll leave it open to others to figure out.

There are ten great songs with catchy hooks and thought-provoking lyrics (the last song does drag a bit, but it's a minor flaw on an otherwise brilliant album). Yes, the album is short, but this is what the "repeat all" function is for! I listen to this CD often, but now the songs have become stuck in my head (see title)!

This is one CD that you MUST own! There aren't too many albums that anyone can listen to from start to finish, but this is one of them.

I put this on my new MP3 player, and I will never delete it!

I hid under my bed for the past 10-15 years waiting for the post-Nirvania music mess to end. It's taken this album by the Shins to restore my faith that "the kids today" get it. I simply adore this album on so many levels. As a classically trained music, I can appreciate the many layers that you discover by listening to this obsessively (which, yes, I do). That said, it's so catchy for your average alt-music crowd too. You don't have to "get it" to dig it. I cannot recommend this album enough. I have a few other albums by The Shins that I love as well but I continue to return to this album. These songs are the type to stay in your head for days, weeks, months, etc. Its found a very comfy place in my 5-star rotation. buy it and give it to your friends.

There are many albums that toe the line of creative brilliance and fall short by a few wasted lines, a song or two overkill, or simply because some can only reach so far with the formula they've compiled. The Shins were a great band to begin with, but they've achieved a new level with Chutes Too Narrow. Everything comes together perfectly from the vocals to the occasional slight of hand percussion to the acoustic mastery. The lyrics can be too abstract at times, but splendid in form nonetheless. Is there a more enjoyable album to listen to? You'll be hard pressed to find one.

I am in shock that this album garnered 280 reviews most of which are 4 stars. What? How? I like this work; I really do. And there a couple great musical moments which I genuinely look forward to when I listen to it, which is quite often as it's so benign that I often play it in my store. But that's just it: Chuttes Too Narrow is so benign that it's unexceptional. There are no bad tracks but none are mind-blowing. Most of my friends are Shin freaks, and I just don't get. There is so much phenomenal music out there, and this is what people are listening to and lauding.

I'm stumped; utterly stumped. Chuttes is way better then Oh, Inverted World, so if you liked their debut, this is probably the album for you. I'm going back to Kings of Leon. Now that's a rockin' band.

Chutes Too Narrow is a must for any Indie enthusiast...and for anyone who loves good music! Definitely one of the most innovative albums I've heard. Kinda reminds me of early early Who and Kinks and early 80's new wave with a modern Indie sound. Most songs on Chutes Too Narrow are themed around acoustic guitar, altho, not like you would think....drums, bass, electric guitars and keys (mostly electric rhodes piano and organ) and the occasional violin or harmonica, fill in very nicely giving the music a very rich and rounded-out sound.

The album incorporates an abundant selection of slow and fast songs which, as a whole, flows very well. James Mercer, a very dynamic lead vocalist and the band's primary songwriter, is all up and down the musical scale....along with provocitive lyrics and melodic backup vocals makes the album enjoyable to listen to.

Even the packaging is creative...if you take out the inner sleeve (of the CD), you'll see that the front cover is actually a composite image of some of the other pages in the booklet - very clever.

I have to admit...I really didn't care for The Shins when I first hear them...but one day, something clicked...and now they're among my favorites!!

Highly recommended

I heard a lot of critical acclaim for the Shins, so I decided to check them out. While I didn't hear their first album, I can still see that Chutes Too Narrow is pretty enjoyable.

I'll also say that the Shins seem to be another band whose style has a more "classic" feel -- in this case, some of the songs are not unlike what we heard in the `80s. They kind of sound like a combination of Tears For Fears and the Cure, and they use this style to deliver nice stuff like "Turn a Square", "Kissing the Lipless", and "Fighting In a Sack".

One thing I noticed, though, is something I mentioned in the review title. A couple of songs are too short -- not that they aren't good, but you can tell they're building up to something but then the songs just end (see "Young Pilgrims" and "Gone For Good"). I also didn't like "Mine's Not a High Horse" as much as the rest of the songs. But Chutes Too Narrow is still ideal for having a knee-slappin' -- I mean, a SHIN-slappin' good time.

Anthony Rupert

The shins made something almost perfect. Those songs are so simple and cool. I'd like to have other cd so good as this one.

It has all the quality of the first CD (oh inverted world), almost as fresh and unique which is remarkable considering the standard of the first. I prefer the production on this one, more crisp and punchy. I think the lead singer must have gained more confidence because he is more upfront and you can understand everything he says unlike the first one. The lyrics are awesome, really colorful, densely packed with very clever stuff, even if i don't really get it all, it works.

This album is on my list of top ten albums ever. Basically every song on this album is worth listening to many times. I can't describe what The Shins unique sound is like, or who they resemble. But who cares? The first time I listened to I was hooked, which is unusual for me, because it usually takes me awhile to like a band. The more I listened, the more I loved it. Though the lyrics are sometimes a little strange, there are many poetic lines. Especially in track 7, "Pink Bullets". The coolest line is, "Since then it's been a book you read in reverse/You understand less as the pages turn/With movies so crass and awkwardly cast/Even I could be the star". I just love that. I personally think the best tracks are "Kissing the Lipless" and "Mine's Not A High Horse". "Lipless" is just a good rockin' song great to listen to in the car. And "High Horse" has this wonderful transcendant sound. I highly reccomend this album to anyone, no matter what kind of genre they're into. It fits into so many catorgories.

An acoustic driven album from the New Mexico quartet, Chutes Too Narrow sees The Shins maturing to a full on experience. As opposed to the sociopathic delivery and ultimate misrepresentation of false emotions and hypothetical situations by groups like The Darkness, Jet, and The Kings Of Leon, James Mercer has more invested in his lyrics. Just as catchy and easy to listen to, it sounds like more work went into this production specifically the careful studio touches and craftsmanship in each track. No doubt they're stuck in the post-Beatles sixties, but they manage to create a sound that's their own, even more so than the like minds of Apples In Stereo, while others seem content in merely changing a few chords of selected rock classics and calling them influences instead of the inspiration, creative force, and original sources they really are. Ah, the slowly dissolving difference between influence and plagiarism ... welcome to the Xerox Generation, ladies and gentleman. Sure, their lyrics may never have been put together in that particular order before but, as any true music aficionado will tell you, it wasn't just the lyrics Robert Plant sang that made him great but how he sang them and The Shins have that, lets call it, soul. They're no fly-by-night fad but a band invested in themselves regardless of us throwing joints and knickers at them, although I'm sure they appreciate it. They'll be here long after Jet and Justin Hawkins have been Posh-ed into retirement to live out their days swimming in their piles of ill-got cash and appearing on "Thought They Were Dead" television specials. Even if you don't like The Shins' psychedelic revival, happy, floaty with a touch of melancholy music, you have to respect the effort.

There is not much one can say about the album that could possibly be negative because the Shins have managed to craft a work of art that will leave the headphones in your ears for weeks to come. I'm glad where i'm from only a select few know about the shins and it's not getting blasted on the radio 24/7 because it does make it more special. The fact is this band is amazing, every song is as good as the next, rich harmonies, simple effective pop that just puts a smile on your face as you stroll by all the teens hanging around in your local mall. I might be breaking the rules by saying it's better than "Oh inverted world", but in my opinion, which is what this piece is, this is a more solid piece of work which has shown the band mature to become one of the biggest indie names today. Get a loan and buy this album!

This album is just as good as "Oh, Inverted World" in almost every way, though it does have a problem or two. It has a strange theme throughout of starting songs with percussive guitar clicks.

1. Kissing the Lipless- a fantastic opening song. James Mercer's distinctive vocals wail away in a lament about about a "friendship scarred".

2. Mine's Not A High Horse- not one of the absolute best on this album, but it grows on you after a while.

3. So Says I- my personal favorite song on this album and from the Shins altogether. Definitely the most energetic Shins song out there. The small falsetto singing part following the first and third choruses just adds so much flare to the song.

4. Young Pilgrims- the most instantly ear-catching song on this whole CD. Its a beautiful acoustic piece with a very unique mood. This was the song that made me fall in love with the Shins.

5. Saint Simon- second best song on this album, behind only So Says I. The bridge on this song with the dueling violins is one of most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.

6. Fighting In A Sack- fast-paced almost punkish song. Not one of my favorites, but certainly worth listening to.

7. Pink Bullets- An incredible song, slow and sad, but with extremely catchy guitar and keyboard lines. The harmonica solo on this track is absolutely amazing.

8. Turn A Square- this song is almost bluesy, but then the chorus comes in with the familiar infectious Shins keyboard line.

9. Gone For Good- Almost highway country-ish, with its acoustic slow chords and electric slide guitar over it. James Mercer is certainly experimenting with different sounds and this song shows it. Great song.

10. Those To Come- the biggest problem on this album I think. They tried to end it with a slow, sad song, but they tried to hard. It doesn't sound real, but rather forcibly depressing. It's still an OK song though. I can NOT wait for the next Shins album.

After purchasing Oh, Inverted World and thoroughly basking in its brilliance, I considered myself satisfied. So I waited a fair while before buying Chutes Too Narrow. Having finally bought it, I played it literally seven times all the way through in two days, and it rarely leaves my player now. Granted, it's a short record, only a slightly over a half an hour, but each listen provides a new way to hear the song and, in turn, a new way to enjoy it.

Chutes Too Narrow presents a large bound musically from Inverted World. Though nothing will ever strip the often heart-breaking naivety and always smile-inducing, eccentric melodies from their debut album, Chutes takes a slightly more restrained, starkly honest look at songs in raw form reined in but still at times hard to swallow--in a good way.

Without ever having heard the album, upon hearing the beginning strains of Kissing the Lipless I found myself grinning foolishly out my window without truly knowing what was making me so happy. The Shins have a way of making me feel as though I've known their songs my whole life, I've only been waiting to hear them. They fit so perfectly into life and all its bittersweet loveliness that it's shocking.

James Mercer's voice has also grown in strength. He really knows now just where to bring a certain tone to the song to hit you right in the heart. Take the gentle, almost inaudible questioning in his voice as he sings, "Will you remember my reply when your high horse dies?" in Mine's not a High Horse, or the right-at-ya frankness as he opens Saint Simon with the lyrics, "After all these implements and texts designed by intellects we're vexed to find evidently there's still so much that hides."

I won't even try to list specific favorites, because every time I go to do that I end up listing all of the songs. However, there is one song on this album that always reaches out and grabs me above all the others, and that's Pink Bullets. Something about its swinging gait, the nostalgic, mesmerizing harmonica solo by Mercer, and his voice, plaintive, mellow, and harsh at the same time, as he sings, "Over the ramparts you tossed the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers, tied to a brick, sweet as a song, the years have been short but the days were long."

The first time I heard this album I wasn't sure about his voice. The album & voice grew on me. Now I love it. Has a beach boys vibe.

In lew of the fact that this album came out a while ago, many are anticipating The Shins next bold move. I am an avid Shins fan, and this album didn't dissapoint me one bit. The melodies are fresh and enlightening- and James Mercer's voice is comforting in spite of some dark lyrics. Some are political, some are of course about love. Pink Bullets is by far the most original song I have ever heard. From the constant strumming of acoustic guitar riffs to the sweet harmonica that comes in at just the right time. I have listened to this song over and over and can't seem to get tired of it! That's when you know you have found something special!

This album is full of worthy songs, funky CD art and is totally worth the 15 bucks. Heck, I would pay 30. Maybe even 50. Can't wait to see what else they have in store this coming year.

this album contains one of my favorite recent songs - "young pilgrims", plus several others that are quite good. i've owned it for a long time, and still haven't gotten tired of it.

Anyone who thinks this is as good or better than "Oh, Inverted World" doesn't have ears in my opinion. About half of this album is very solid, with "Young Pilgrim", "Saint Simon", "Fighting In A Sack" and "So Says I" being the highlights. "Saint Simon" in particular is worth the price of admission alone. It's the only song on here that matches (and perhaps even surpasses) the transcendant "New Slang" on their debut.

Converted fans will find something to like. Those who are curious should start with their debut.

i love this shins album and i see that a lot of other die-hard fans do, as well, but i am a little surprised. in my opinion, chutes too narrow is actually better than oh, inverted world but apparently im the only one who thinks that. i dont know maybe im just weird. my definite favorite songs on the record are pink bullets, kissing the lipless, and turn a square. a definite buy.