The Shins, HMV Forum, London

Mr James Mercer, leader of the Shins pack and genius behind the soundtrack to many teenage years, returned to London this week for a couple of dates at Kentish Town’s lovely Forum. It’s been five years since ‘Wincing The Night Away’, and a whole lot has changed since then… namely the rest of the band. That’s right, with a brand new line-up, The Shins are back, and they certainly still have it.

Having just released ‘Port Of Morrow’, their ‘comeback album’, tickets have been much coveted. Following support from Clinic, The Forum is positively buzzing as hardcore Shins fans await the quintet. The band take to the stage and open with ‘Caring Is Creepy’ - the audience singing along from the word go.

Mercer et al treat us to an hour and a half of classics interspersed nicely with tracks from the new album. A very chilled out ‘One By One All Day’ gradually builds up into a massive prog-rock instrumental, and ‘New Slang’ is laced with girly harmonies courtesy of ex-Beck guitarist, Jessica Dobson.

After what’s essentially over an hour of en-masse sing-a-long, the band leave for what seems like an age, before James returns alone, acoustic in hand, for a stripped down ‘Young Pilgrims’. Yukki Matthews (bass), Joe Plummer (rhythm guitar), Richard Swift (keys) along with Jessica rejoin him on stage, do tequila shots and give us a positively dreamy ‘Port Of Morrow’. Brilliant.