The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now

The Shins announce first album in nearly five years, hear 'Name For You'

James Mercer of the Shins
James Mercer of the ShinsNikki Fenix

by Robin Hilton

January 05, 2017

The Shins are back with the group's first new album since 2012's Port of Morrow. Heartworms is set to drop on March 10 on Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records. In making the announcement today, the band shared the joyfully infectious pop cut "Name For You" and a lyric video.

Frontman James Mercer produced Heartworms on his own, a first since the Shins' 2001 debut album, Oh, Inverted World. He says the new music was inspired, in part, by growing older and parenthood. "Name For You" is a hopeful ode of empowerment to Mercer's daughters.

"Given all the drops in the ocean, better take it one sip at a time," Mercer sings. "Somebody with an antique notion comes along to tighten the line, they're just afraid of you speaking your mind."

This is the second song the band has shared from Heartworms. In October, The Shins released a Halloween-themed video for the song "Dead Alive."

Heartworms Tracklist:

1. "Name for You"
2. "Painting a Hole"
3. "Cherry Hearts"
4. "Fantasy Island"
5. "Mildenhall"
6. "Rubber Ballz"
7. "Half a Million"
8. "Dead Alive"
9. "Heartworms"
10. "So Now What"
11. "The Fear"