Oh, Inverted World

Oh, Inverted World
Studio album by The Shins
Released	June 19, 2001
Recorded	2000–2001
Genre	Indie rock Indie pop
Length	31:51
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Producer	James Mercer, The Shins
The Shins chronology
When You Land Here, It's Time to Return as Flake Music (1997) Oh, Inverted World (2001) Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

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. Sub Pop Records reprinted the vinyl, but the Sub Pop logo only appears on later pressings.

The album's title comes from a lyric in the second track, "One by One All Day", and there are several theories as to its meaning. It may allude to a line from German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. In his 1843 Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, Marx blames religion for creating an "inverted world consciousness" that excuses mankind from self-responsibility.^[1] Alternatively, it may refer to the science fiction classic "Inverted World" by Christopher Priest.

The album contains the songs "Caring Is Creepy" and "New Slang," both of which appeared in the 2004 film Garden State.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Drowned In Sound	[4]
Pitchfork Media	[5]
PopMatters	(9/10)[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Sputnikmusic	[8]

Oh, Inverted World placed at number 35 on the Pazz & Jop critic's poll for 2001.^{[citation needed]} Online music magazine Pitchfork Media placed Oh, Inverted World at number 115 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.^[9]

Track listing

All songs written by James Mercer.

1. "Caring Is Creepy" – 3:20
2. "One by One All Day" – 4:09
3. "Weird Divide" – 1:58
4. "Know Your Onion!" – 2:29
5. "Girl Inform Me" – 2:21
6. "New Slang" – 3:51
7. "The Celibate Life" – 1:51
8. "Girl on the Wing" – 2:50
9. "Your Algebra" – 2:23
10. "Pressed in a Book" – 2:55
11. "The Past and Pending" – 5:22
12. "Sphagnum Esplanade" (Japanese Bonus Track) – 4:20

Legacy

"Oh, Inverted World" was also the name of a web series released in November 2010 which was largely inspired by The Shins music as well as other indie artists such as Arcade Fire and The Decemberists. The 13-part sci-fi web series was a story of four twentysomethings returning home from college to find that the Moon is falling into the Earth. The web series was called by the New York Times a "mumblecore Night of the Living Dead" ^[10]

References

1. ^ Marx, Karl. Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right: Introduction; The Marx-Engels Reader; Norton.
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0333766/soundtrack
3. ^ Allmusic review
4. ^ Drowned In Sound review
5. ^ Pitchfork Media review
6. ^ PopMatters review
7. ^ Rolling Stone review
8. ^ Sputnikmusic review
9. ^ Pitchfork staff (September 28, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200-151". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7707-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-150-101/4/. Retrieved October 1, 2009. 
10. ^ Mike Hale (January 14, 2011). "Mishaps in Politicking, Single-Parenthood and Finding a Partner". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/arts/television/16watch.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2&sq=oh,%20inverted%20world&st=cse&scp=3. Retrieved October 24, 2011.