Here we go again—another sad case of idealism versus reality. At some point, I suppose I’ll just have to accept the fact that The Shins are gone for good, but for now, I’ll play the part of the abandoned child. The reality is that mom and dad have called it quits, a clear-cut case of irreconcilable differences. Last year James Mercer announced that Jesse Sandoval and Marty Crandall, The Shins’ drummer and keyboardist, respectively, left the band on good terms for what he called “aesthetic reasons.” In an interview with The Portland Mercury, Sandoval reported “I unequivocally got fired.” Whatever the circumstances surrounding the disbanding, the damage is done. Wincing the Night Away made it clear enough that the days of basement folk jams were over, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise. What better next step could we ask for than teaming up with Danger Mouse, or Brian Burton as he is billed for Broken Bells.

It’s easy to say this is a new chapter in Mercer’s story, but, really, how can we help but stack this new effort against the towering greatness of Chutes Too Narrow and Oh, Inverted World? Again, as Wincing suggests, Mercer seems to be taking a page from Nick Thorburn’s playbook and embracing his dark side. Broken Bells can also be seen as an extension of the Mercer track from Dark Night of the Soul, without the Lynchian vibe. Even after several listens, I’m still conflicted. Part of me is inspired by the greatness of these two stars aligning, while the other (bigger) part is flabbergasted by the tremendous waste of talent. In a recent “best albums of the aughts” poll, I placed Chutes in the top slot. Few artists can demonstrate the naturally effortless aggregation of music, lyrics and vocals as Mercer and company achieved on the first two Shins albums. When Wincing dropped in ’07, my immediate reaction was anger. I felt cheated after waiting three years for a follow up to what was, essentially, pop perfection. I am still unable to reconcile my expectations following Chutes. What was I hoping for? How does one follow perfection? Should they have pulled a Seinfeld and gone out on top, or would the right play have been to keep on the same track in a likely hopeless attempt to harness the lightning again for a third strike? Experience would tend to indicate the impossibility of such a feat, but The Shins might have been The Beatles of indie folk. We’ll never know for sure.

Putting the past aside as best I can, Broken Bells have put together a fairly solid debut, but the long view is less optimistic. Mercer sticks with the forty-ish minute runtime that has served him so well, but that’s about as far as the similarities go. So as not to undercut his craft, I’ll assume the responsibility of not seeing the forest for the trees, but it seems like the new tracks are less story oriented than The Shins’. What really gets me about Chutes are the captivating narratives that tug ever so plangently at the heartstrings. My biggest complaint about Broken Bells (other than that they’re not The Shins, which really isn’t fair) is the near-complete sublimation of Mercer’s genius. “When our kite lines first crossed, we tied them into knots / To finally fly apart, we had to cut them off / Since then it’s been a book you read in reverse, so you understand less as the pages turn, or a movie so crass and awkwardly cast that even I could be the star.” That snippet from “Pink Bullets” haunts me to this day. It’s pure poetry. From what I can comprehend of the Broken Bells’ lyrics, it’s mostly a collection of life lessons without the keen narrative structure that bound together the earlier volumes of Mercer’s repertoire. The deficit of enunciation derives mainly from Mercer’s lackluster delivery rather than Inverted’s grainy production that poses similar comprehension issues.

All that being said, I really don’t dislike the album. As I mentioned, it’s simply a case of idealism versus reality. Where this Broken Bells album succeeds is not to be ignored. I am convinced that there is hope for life after The Shins. The debut may have its share of problems, but the problems are almost exclusively due to expectations based on the two reputations that precede the band. What it lacks is the sense of grandeur I expected, and that I still feel the music needs. “October” and “The High Road” are the best tracks offered because they demonstrate a middle ground that surpasses Mercer’s and Burton’s collective pasts. The instrumentation is simply gorgeous and all the more impressive for the fact that the duo is entirely responsible for its synthesis, save Daniele Luppi’s string arrangements. “October” feels like the closest link to the old days of the narrative while still expanding the concepts awkwardly attempted on Wincing. “Vaporize”, too, opens in the comfortable confines of Mercer’s vocals over an acoustic guitar, but takes it to the next level, proving his voice lends equally well to organ and synth backdrops. If anything, less familiar territory, as in “Your Head Is on Fire” and “Sailing to Nowhere” is underexplored. This is where a larger sense of grandeur would have helped. If we’re breaking new ground, it needs to be more firmly established. As these tracks are, they’re a bit too elusive with no real climax. All I ask, if pressed to endure post-Shins Mercer, is to believe that he believes, but I’m just not convinced.

Track List:
1. The High Road
2. Vaporize
3. Your Head Is on Fire
4. The Ghost Inside
5. Sailing to Nowhere
6. Trap Doors
7. Citizen
8. October
9. Mongrel Heart
10. The Mall and Misery