After Natalie Portman proclaimed that The Shins “will change your life” in Zach Braff’s flick Garden State, the boys quickly found themselves on the cover of every major music magazine, selling more records than anyone could have expected. It has been three years since the release of Garden State and The Shins have transformed from a modest cult favorite to indie-rock icons. Its third full-length album, Wincing the Night Away, has lived up to its expectations. The Shins experiment with texture by using strings, hip-hop beats and doubling the vocals to create a sound that is more confident than any of their previous releases. On “Sea Legs” and “Black Wave,” contemporary beats merge with swirling psychedelic riffs. For Wincing the Night Away, The Shins will not need a celebrity endorsement: the album alone is certain to launch the quartet to even greater success. Grade: A-

– Rachel Surwit, Muse Staff