Re: Album of the day (#7569): Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins

DommeDamian — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 03:57:36 GMT

Author: DommeDamian

Posted: 10/17/2026 07:57

Still sounds so good.

Album of the day (#7569): Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins

BestEverAlbums — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:00:26 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 10/16/2026 20:00

Today's album of the day

Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 2003.
Country:
The Shins discography rank: 1st (out of 9 albums listed on BEA)
2003 rank: 5th
2000s rank: 58th
Overall rank: 359th
Average rating: 80/100 (from 792 votes).

Tracks:
1. Kissing The Lipless
2. Mine's Not A High Horse
3. So Says I
4. Young Pilgrims
5. Saint Simon
6. Fighting In A Sack
7. Pink Bullets
8. Turn A Square
9. Gone For Good
10. Those To Come

indicates a top-rated track.

Top voted comments:

"This album is so consistently enjoyable all the way through. Every single track is fun and full of energy and I would recommend this album to anyone as it is extremely accessible. The song writing is the real strength of the record with the lyrics having so much depth and allowing so much room to be able to explore them. Alongside this is the tight guitar work and the drums on this album are just superb. Furthermore, the record never slows down and so you barely notice the 33 minutes go by and at the end I just want to start it over again. Overall, the album is delicate and beautiful but also loud and energetic when it needs to be making it never dull or disinteresting making it a joy whenever I revisit it."
- @Untitled (Rating: 85/100)
________________________________________________________

"The shins "chutes too narrow" is another indie pop gem. Each song could've been a radio hit. "kissing the lipless" starts with a nervous acoustic pace before charging electric, opening "Called to see / If your back / Was still aligned / And your sheets / Were growing grass / All on the corners of your bed". "mine's not a high horse" states "you were so poorly cast as a malcontent" claiming "You've got em all on your side / that just leads more from doubt to slaughter" on an upward synth climb atop speedy acoustic guitar with "one finger parallel to the sky". "so says i" is another 2:41 gem with churning guitar: "We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs / but we still can't just behave ourselves / even if to save our own lives, so says I, we are a brutal kind." "young pilgrim" is laid-back placing emphasis on James Mercer's sharp vocals wanting to "fly the whole mess into the sea". "saint simon" would probably have the best shot at pop radio dominance with its lazy stroll through fanciful rhyme, lilting-romantic side-chorus and xylophone-accompanied chorus, opening "After all these implements and text designed by intellects / so vexed to find evidently there's just so much that hides" and warmly closing "Mercy's eyes are blue / When she places them in front of you / nothing really holds a candle to / the solemn warmth you feel inside of you". "fighting in a sack" delivers this with quick tongue: "But you'll find those lingering voices are just your ego's attempt to make it all clean and nice / and make a moron out of you "."
- @paladisiac (Rating: 85/100)
________________________________________________________

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

Best Ever Albums

Re: Album of the day (#7569): Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins

Album of the day (#7569): Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins