Flake Music

Flake Music is actually last year's critical darlings the Shins before they became the Shins. When You Land Here, It's Time To Return was released back in 1997, but since the mini-success of the Shins' debut Oh, Inverted World, interest has grown in their early recording. When You Land Here, It's Time To Return is not much of a departure from the band's current sound, maintaining the same indie Beach Boys-meets-XTC charm they do now, but with a little less effort in the production department. "Spanway Hits" is filled with quirky hooks and bouncy drumbeats, spotlighting James Mercer's exquisitely high-pitched vocals. The album contains four mysteriously untitled tracks placed evenly throughout, which makes the track listing a little confusing. However, when "The Shins" kicks in towards the end of the record the confusion is easily forgettable, because it is fun to see how this band underwent the changes to become what they are today.