- Chutes Too Narrow
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Chutes Too Narrow Studio album by The Shins Released October 21, 2003 Recorded June–July 2003 in James' Basement and Avast! Studios Genre Indie rock
Indie popLength 33:50 Label Interscope Records Producer The Shins, Phil Ek The Shins chronology Oh, Inverted World
(2001)Chutes Too Narrow
(2003)Wincing the Night Away
(2007)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. According to Nielsen SoundScan, they have sold over 393,000 copies to date.
Chutes Too Narrow features cleaner production standards than the "lo-fi" Oh, Inverted World. This is largely due to the album's being mixed by producer Phil Ek, who has also worked with Built to Spill and Modest Mouse. Chutes Too Narrow also departs from the band's keyboard-driven debut and shifts towards more emphasis on guitars.
The album also included violin parts on "Saint Simon", played by Annemarie Ruljancich, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. The cover art was designed by Jesse LeDoux. The songs "Gone for Good" and "Those To Come" were used in the 2004 film In Good Company. "Those To Come" was also used in the 2005 film Winter Passing.
Contents
Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Blender [2]
Drowned In Sound [3]
The Guardian [4]
Mojo [5]
Pitchfork Media (8.9/10.0)[6] PopMatters (favorable)[7] Robert Christgau (A-)[8] Rolling Stone [9]
Sputnikmusic [10]
Stylus (A)[11] Uncut [12]
Chutes Too Narrow placed on Slant Magazine's list of best albums of the 2000s at number 91[13] and Pitchfork Media's at 46.[14]
Track listing
All songs written by James Mercer.
- "Kissing the Lipless" – 3:19
- "Mine's Not a High Horse" – 3:20
- "So Says I" – 2:48
- "Young Pilgrims" – 2:47
- "Saint Simon" – 4:25
- "Fighting in a Sack" – 2:26
- "Pink Bullets" – 3:53
- "Turn a Square" – 3:11
- "Gone for Good (A Call to Apathy)" – 3:13
- "Those to Come" – 4:24
- "Mild Child" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 4:29
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Blender review
- ^ Drowned In Sound review
- ^ The Guardian review
- ^ Mojo review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ Sputnikmusic review
- ^ Stylus review
- ^ Uncut review
- ^ "Best of the Aughts: Albums". Slant Magazine. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-of-the-aughts-albums/215. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 50-21". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7709-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-50-21/.
External links
James Mercer · Dave Hernandez · Joe Plummer · Eric Johnson · Ron Lewis
Neal Langford · Martin Crandall · Jesse SandovalStudio albums EPs Singles "When I Goose-Step / The Gloating Sun" · "New Slang" · "Know Your Onion!" · "So Says I" · "Fighting in a Sack" · "Phantom Limb" · "Australia" · "Turn on Me" · "Sea Legs"Related articles Categories:- 2000s indie pop album stubs
- 2003 albums
- Sub Pop albums
- The Shins albums
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