Unfortunately, I rarely get to sit down and listen to an entire record all the way through these days. I have an expansive collection, but it’s largely gathering dust because I just simply don’t have the time. For my birthday, my buddy Matt gave me some iTunes bucks and I went trolling for some new tunes. I settled on The Shins new record: Wincing the Night Away.

I only got about halfway through when something struck me: these guys have been listening to their Brian Wilson records, haven’t they? I’ve since gone back and listened to the record a dozen or so times and that initial notion sticks for me. I’m by no means, a Shins Superfan, rather a casual listener, but to my ear, they’ve been heavily influenced by the Beach Boys and their once front man Brian Wilson- whether The Shins know it or not. As far as influences go, the Beach Boys are tops in my book, so it’s not anything to be bashful about.

I’ve put up a few videos here below. Go ahead. Play them and tell me what you think? Sounds like a connection, doesn’t it?

First, The Shins new single: Phanton Limb.

And, here’s Brian Wilson’s Heroes and Villains:

I’m not the only one who thinks there’s a connection….