Port of Morrow by The Shins

Port of Morrow is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Shins. The album was released March 19, 2012, on Aural Apothecary and Columbia Records and was co-produced by Greg Kurstin and frontman James Mercer. The Shins' first studio album in five years, following the release of 2007's Wincing the Night Away, followed major lineup changes in the group: founding members Dave Hernandez (bass, guitar), Marty Crandall (keyboards) and Jesse Sandoval (drums) departed in 2009. Mercer deemed it an "aesthetic decision" to part ways with his bandmates, and in the interim, founded side project Broken Bells with Danger Mouse. Primarily a collaboration between Mercer and Kurstin, the album features contributions from former members: Dave Hernandez, Martin Crandall, Eric D. Johnson and Ron Lewis; alongside drummer Joe Plummer, and other studio contributors, including Janet Weiss and Nik Freitas. Mercer penned lyrics based around his newfound fatherhood, the love for his family, as well as nostalgic memories of his childhood in Germany and his rough adolescent transition to the United States. Musically, Port of Morrow is inspired by 1970s German pop and is melodic and heavily layered, while adding a greater emphasis on electronic instrumentation. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and received largely favorable reviews from contemporary critics, with some deeming it among the band's best, while others felt it disjointed following the departure of its principal members. The lead single "Simple Song" charted within the top ten on the Billboard alternative charts, representing the band's highest peak chart-wise in their home country. Upon release, independent record stores were exclusively given a bonus acoustic EP bundled with the record.