10 Most Overrated Indie Rock Albums Of All Time

Call it the Zach Braff effect. In his often unwatchable film Garden State, Braff has Natalie Portman’s character declare that The Shins would change your life. Spoiler alert: they really won’t. James Mercer’s merry band of twee troubadours had their moment in the sun, and for the first few records could boast a healthy dose of interesting ideas among the sentiment and ukuleles.

By 2012, most people had forgotten about The Shins (to say nothing of Garden State), but a subsection of the music media didn’t want to admit defeat, and accordingly, Port Of Morrow received a bizarrely gentle ride from the press. Much of the album is downright pap, with second single “It’s Only Life” perhaps the worst offender. It sounds like it’s been written for a sad montage on a sitcom.

“Simple Song” is just as annoying, with Mercer’s voice ill suited to this brand of boisterous pop, and the music sounding anything but fresh with its ‘80s throwback synths at least three years out of date.

Pop producer Greg Kurstin was brought in for the first time, and it’s hard to say he doesn’t do his job well - these songs are slick to the point of sterility, and sound all the worse for it.