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8.4
94231
8.4 |
Gig Soup
Another earworm mix of songs that provide musical medicine for both new music listeners and faithful Shin lovers
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8.0
94403
8.0 |
NME
The Shins in 2017 possibly aren’t life changing, but overall Mercer’s songwriting creds are well in tact
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8.0
94139
8.0 |
Evening Standard
James Mercer and co are back with a melodic tour de force
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8.0
93906
8.0 |
The Music
If Heartworms was the first Shins record you'd heard, you'd be surprised to know that the band has been around for more than 20 years
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8.0
93908
8.0 |
musicOMH
The evolution and maturation of The Shins might continue at its steady pace with this record, but it’s all the better for the sense of nostalgia that pervades it, seeping from both its music and its lyrics
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8.0
93917
8.0 |
The Independent
Sketching autobiographical situations whose particularity evades pop’s more humdrum cliches
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8.0
93954
8.0 |
Q
An utter gem. Print edition only
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8.0
93955
8.0 |
Uncut
Hyperactively wordy and exquisitely tuneful. Print edition only
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8.0
93956
8.0 |
Mojo
Another fine crop of pop Print edition only
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8.0
93969
8.0 |
Drowned In Sound
The totality of the record is enough to engulf listeners in myriad textures accomplished via sound and vision
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7.9
94049
7.9 |
Earbuddy
It’s always a joy to hear Mercer’s roundabout ear for writing and singing applied to the unique sound he has established for the group. Which is just him
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7.6
93987
7.6 |
Pitchfork
The most hermetic LP James Mercer has released since 2001’s Oh, Inverted World. His gift for making fussy arrangements seem effortless remains unparalleled
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7.5
93904
7.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Mercer’s voice and turns of phrase full of paradox make this an intricate album
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7.5
93942
7.5 |
A.V. Club
Deceptively sunny, psych-tinged
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7.1
94102
7.1 |
Paste Magazine
Heartworms glimpses something deeper than Mercer’s moods: his spirit
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7.0
93940
7.0 |
All Music
Though it takes a few listens to get to the heart of Heartworms, fans who have stuck with Mercer for this long will find it time well spent
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7.0
94159
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
Heartworms has to answer a different question entirely: where do the Shins go from here?
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7.0
93921
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Heartworms has more of a home-brewed feel, heavy on Beach Boys grandeur, New Wave kicks, squiggly synth-pop and warm-weather soft rock
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7.0
93911
7.0 |
Exclaim
Although the core songwriting is never quite as captivating and merciful as it was on previous albums, Heartworms nonetheless has an adventurous outer shell
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7.0
93991
7.0 |
Under The Radar
One thing that remains strong is Mercer's ability to craft songs that are always interesting, otherworldly, and transport you to another universe
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6.0
93986
6.0 |
No Ripcord
For all that Mercer tries to achieve in Heartworms, and as is usually the case with most of The Shins’ catalogue, the strongest cuts are often the ones that uncover little details with emotional nuances and careful articulation
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6.0
93934
6.0 |
DIY
Five years after the big, bright ‘Port Of Morrow’, James Mercer is more contemplative
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6.0
93907
6.0 |
Loud And Quiet
A decent Shins album without ever being great
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6.0
93903
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
Throughout Heartworms, James Mercer ruminates on aging by contrasting his present with his past
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6.0
94115
6.0 |
State
The Shins haven’t quite cracked what contemporary indie music should sound like – but they have evolved to ensure that they’re not irrelevant
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6.0
94121
6.0 |
The 405
Just a few puzzle pieces shy of being great, and that’s a damn shame
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6.0
94138
6.0 |
The Guardian
An album of tinkering and pootling, the sound of a man reminiscing on life, referencing his favourite records – less rock star, more bloke living out his hobby from the comfort of a suburban garage
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5.8
93994
5.8 |
Pretty Much Amazing
The Shins may get a bad rap, but this time, it doesn’t seem unfair
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5.0
93996
5.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
A brightly colored mess
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5.0
94092
5.0 |
PopMatters
Heartworms is a sonic course correction from 2012's Port of Morrow, but the songwriting is still spotty, so it's simply too little, too late
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5.0
94181
5.0 |
Crack
Turning his memories into just another teen movie, Heartworms can’t shake the weight of Mercer’s own expectations
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2.0
93905
2.0 |
The Skinny
Aimless and fussy, Heartworms sounds like the kind of album a person with slightly too much money, their own studio and a massive ego would make
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