The Shins at Eventim Apollo, London, gig review: Deployed infectious melodies as easily as ever

The awe displayed by The Shins frontman James Mercer regarding the group’s sold-out show at Hammersmith venue Eventim Apollo was matched by the revellers’ shock that this very spot is the biggest the Portland mainstays have played in London to date.

With five albums to their name, drip-fed to music listeners over the past 16 years, The Shins have remained a much-welcome fixture on the indie scene for some time now. In the face of changing form, the one constant is bearded wonder Mercer who, having parted ways with (or fired – it depends on who you ask) his longstanding bandmates in favour of a fresh crop of musicians, stood centre stage unassumingly deploying infectious melodies as easily as he did back in 2001.

New album Heartworms may be a considered return to the twee vibes showcased on debut critical darling Oh, Inverted World, yet the concern was that perhaps Mercer would use the bustling event as an opportunity to force-feed spectators with songs that, sure, they’ll grow to like but don’t necessarily want to hear all night long (recommendation: “Fantasy Island”).

It was the old familiars everyone was there for, and fortunately, it was the old familiars The Shins wanted to give them: “Kissing the Lipless” kicked proceedings off vibrantly if a tad tamely, while third album delights “Australia” and “Phantom Limb” threw a blanket of joy upon the crowd who permitted Mercer’s lyrics to billow about the room. “Simple Song,” while a bold choice for song number three, raised the euphoria levels nicely even if the majority kept their fingers crossed for some kind of reprisal towards the end of the evening.

If a mid-section lull provided people with a beer-grabbing window, the encore patched up the wound. Departing the stage for a hefty four minutes – Mercer clearly enjoying being back on a London stage – the band returned sheepishly knowing their next move would be received warmly; not an eye in the room strayed from the vocalist as he performed a tranquil rendition of “New Slang”, the track which arguably handed them inflated success thanks to its usage in 2004 film Garden State.

A swelling strings-filled performance of new track “The Fear” served as an extended build-up for the night’s final act – “Sleeping Lessons”, a song whose docile verse and blistering drop evoked the sense of a lit match flying towards fuel in slow motion, aided by a brief segue into Tom Petty crowdpleaser “American Girl”. When it landed, the Eventim Apollo caught alight for four hectic minutes – it was clearly a case of best until last.