The Shins 'chute' to thrill

Sometimes on a long road trip, the traveler will want to step out and take some pictures of the beautiful, unusual scenery. That pastoral appreciation is what listening to The Shins is like.\nOn Chutes Too Narrow, the band's vision is of a crevice of Americana that's as pure as a freshly mown meadow and gently rolling stream.\nWriting and performing songs that could have been written 25 years ago or 25 years from now, James Mercer and Co. have mastered metaphor from familiar ("muddy waters") to abstract ("pink bullets"). \nMusically, they may be the closest thing to an American Belle and Sebastian, though not quite so clever. The arrangements stomp with a guitar, plink with a calming piano and scrape ceilings with high falsetto harmonies. Then, when you're already caught off-kilter Annemarie Ruljancich unveils a beautiful violin underpinning to "Saint Simon," the album's best song.\nThey've mastered melody too, but they don't need to jump to the top of a mountain and shout it for the listener. They also don't need to fool with their succinct song structures to bring attention to themselves.\nThis is a band comfortable with who they are and insinuating with their grooves. They know the scenery.