THE SHINS: Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop)

It's fair to say The Shins have yet to put a foot wrong so far, and Wincing the Night Away carries on that near spotless record. The Albuquerque band hasn't tried to recreate dazzling debut Oh, Inverted World, delivering a more understated collection with Chutes Too Narrow and stretching out into more diverse instrumentation here. James Mercer's effortlessly appealing voice, infectious melodies, quirky hooks and surprising arrangements remain The Shins' calling cards. Opener Sleeping Lessons grows from hypnotic soundscape to jaunty rock, while Australia is a swinging piece of perfect pop, and Phantom Limb possesses a spine-tingling melody worthy of Brian Wilson. An early contender for one of the albums of 2007.

JEFF CRAWFORD