Oh, Inverted World, the sun-baked debut album from Albuquerque indie quartet The Shins, signposts a fascinating change of direction for Sub Pop Records. Back in the early 90s, bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney made the name synonymous with the dark, angst-ridden grunge sound. Now, it would seem, Sub Pop wears a flower in its hair. The florid harmonies and bucolic acoustics of "Caring Is Creepy" and "Know Your Onion" bring to mind a vision of the verdant hills and gleaming bays of California that's remained largely dormant since The Beach Boys hung up their surfboards: a sound that's undeniably nostalgic, but so vividly realised and perfectly recorded it seems almost churlish to mention it. It's not all simple sunshine pop, either: the delicate, melancholy spaghetti western strum of "New Slang" recalls the barren desertscapes of Ennio Morricone, while the shadowy, monastic vocals and trilling cellos of "Your Algebra" provide a chilling two minutes of commendably dark psychedelia. Sure, it might have one foot in the past but Oh, Inverted World sounds like a fresh start for Sub Pop--one that drowns out the muddy roar of grunge with the hum of good vibrations. --Louis Pattison