Tower Of Love / Jim Noir

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"On his debut album, Tower of Love, Jim Noir proves himself to be a first-class mix-and-match master, blending the cheesy drum machines and bubbling synths of indie electronic, the lo-fi guitars and adult-child vocals of indie pop, and the full-bodied and harmony-drenched arrangements of chamber pop into a swirling, soothing, and truly lovely Technicolor pop confection. Noir also proves himself to be an able student of great outsider pop of the '60s, '70s, and 2000s. There are echoes of British eccentrics like XTC, Kevin Ayers, and ELO to be found in the grooves of Tower. There is the pronounced influence of those renowned American nutters, the mid-'70s edition of the Beach Boys and their Love You album. There are comparisons to be made to the anything-goes spirit and sound of contemporary explorers like Super Furry Animals and the Beta Band. Best of all, if you happen to have never heard of any of those bands and just love a good melody played and sung sweetly by a likeable singer, you will love the record just as much as someone who can train-spot all the influences. There really isn't a weak song to be had, and the album flows past like a gentle stream winding its way through a summer meadow." (from Allmusic.com)

Jim Noir delivers an excellent, catchy, upbeat, happy, full of joy album, with great music, all composed by himself. He's a genius at his work and his music just shows it. You'll be happier if you listened to this album. :)

Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins

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"The production is clearly better (Phil Ek and a bigger budget will do that), and hence it sounds more contemporary than the first, which could have passed for a lost ’60s treasure with its hazy faraway recording. But on Chutes, Mercer’s voice is singing right next to you, and the change works wonders. The front-and-center feel lends the album a youthful, vulnerable fray, something absent from the precision of the band’s debut, and a dynamic addition to the current batch of songs, which vary from the quote-in-a-long-lost-love-letter variety to the weep-into-weak-coffee-and-chain-smoke kind." (from Dusted Magazine)

Such a happy, vibrant album. Excellent tunes, great feel. It's a must. It's The shins! Did you expect any less? (: