After five years of static, The Shins shattered the silence with a brand new single, “Dead Alive.” The first five seconds of the song will have you guessing what will happen next, but once it’s over you’ll be left in complete awe. The song carries a nostalgic essence, sounding quite similar to past singles with its upbeat rhythm and echoing acoustics.
This underrated band may not be as well known as One Direction, but they definitely have their fair share of Western fans. Senior Charlotte Norris spoke on behalf of most of their fanbase, “I want to hear a lot of the same stuff, I love their sound and don’t want it to change.”
Another senior, Mary Campbell Spencer said, “I’m really looking forward to the aesthetic pleasure to my ears.” All in all, their fans are ready for the full album to drop.
The singer/songwriter and guitarist of the band, James Mercer, stole the band of its fame around 2010 when he began singing for a new band, The Broken Bells, who have produced a couple albums. Though both bands have similar sounds, the Shins will always hold the most important to Mercer because of their unique use of sampling and sounds.
Since then, the Shins hadn’t produced anything new until “Dead Alive” came out on October 27th. Their new single is part of an entire album coming out in 2017 that Mercer claims “fans will love.”
Whether you’ve heard of the band or not, I highly recommend giving this new single a listen, and stay in tune for the rest of the album.