The Shins’ sophomore album Chutes Too Narrow is turning 20 this year, and Sub Pop is celebrating the occasion with a new anniversary edition of the record. The reissue is out October 20th, 2023.
After the runaway success of their debut Oh, Inverted World, Chutes Too Narrow proved The Shins were here to stay. It was recorded in frontman James Mercer’s basement home studio and finished with a little mixing help from Phil Ek; its remaster was handled by Adam Ayan, though Mercer kept a close eye on the process.
“I was very aware at the time that I had struck gold with the first record, and it was unlikely to happen again,” Mercer recalls in a press release. “’Sophomore slump’ and all that. The pressure to prove myself as a viable writer had never been so pronounced. Midway through the mixing process, I realized one of the songs would not work, so I stayed up after everyone went to bed and wrote ‘Young Pilgrims.’ And with Ek’s help, it worked! Such a stressful but beautiful experience!”
The special release features a new custom die-cut cover for both the CD and LP formats of the album, while there’s also a limited run of translucent colored vinyl. Pre-orders are ongoing, and you can revisit the album art and tracklist below.
Last year, The Shins celebrated the (belated) 20th anniversary of Oh, Inverted World with a deluxe reissue of the album and an accompanying tour performing the album in its entirety.
Chutes Too Narrow (20th Anniversary Remaster) Artwork:
Chutes Too Narrow (20th Anniversary Remaster) Tracklist:
01. Kissing the Lipless
02. Mine’s Not a High Horse
03. So Says I
04. Young Pilgrims
05. Saint Simon
06. Fighting in a Sack
07. Pink Bullets
08. Turn a Square
09. Gone for Good
10. Those to Come
