Oh Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster LP)

Oh, Inverted World, the earth-shattering, indie-rock-redefining 2001 debut album by The Shins, is presented here in its finest form, dressed up all nice for its 20th birthday. The classic tunes get new life by way of a full remastering job, the art is given a little extra zest via a die-cut jacket and a classy inner sleeve, and the package is rounded off with a big ol' booklet with vintage photos, handwritten lyrics, and more.

The music, of course, is obviously essential. Aside from a friendly reminder that this is the album with the smash hit "New Slang", as heard in the hit movie Garden State, we just need to note that the remastering job truly makes this the album James Mercer always wanted it to be. Never quite satisfied with the sonics of the original, Mercer took the 20th anniversary of the album as his opportunity to finally set the (literal!) record straight. And the results sound stellar: great for new fans, and well worth the attention of those already on board!

Remastered by Bob Ludwig, with personal supervision from band-leader James Mercer.