The Shins announce 20th-anniversary reissue of ‘Chutes Too Narrow’
This year marks two decades since the release of Chutes Too Narrow, the second record from New Mexico indie rockers The Shins. Now, they’ve announced their plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary with a reissue of the album.
The reissue is due to be released this October, and both the CD and vinyl will be accompanied by new, custom die-cut artwork. A special, limited ‘Loser Edition’ is also available to pre-order on transparent orange vinyl.
Originally recorded in a basement home studio owned by James Mercer, the project’s only constant member, the record represented a shifting interest towards guitar sounds. Following its release, the record received critical acclaim and was nominated for ‘Best Recording Package’ at the Grammy Awards.
Mercer shared his shock at the album’s initial success, recalling: “I was very aware at the time that I had struck gold with the first record, and it was unlikely to happen again. ‘Sophomore slump’ and all that.”
The frontman felt the pressure to deliver after the success of their debut album, Oh, Inverted World, which they embarked upon an anniversary tour of last year. He shared: “The pressure to prove myself as a viable writer had never been so pronounced.”
Collaborating with mixer Phil Ek, who has also worked with the likes of Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, allowed Mercer to break through: “Midway through the mixing process, I realised one of the songs would not work, so I stayed up after everyone went to bed and wrote ‘Young Pilgrims.’ And with Ek’s help, it worked! Such a stressful but beautiful experience.”
The reissue is out on Friday, October 20th and is available to pre-order now.
Listen back to ‘So Says I’ from Chutes Too Narrow below.
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