It's like, so weird.

A topic was rekindled in my mind today at breakfast. That topic being the latest record by the Shins, "Wincing the Night Away". I've had some time with the album and think that there are some great songs, and some songs that sound like cast aways from previous efforts. But I'm not really interested in speaking to the sonics, it's the presentation of the record as an item for purchase that interests me. Everything I read leading up to the release felt like a warning, and like most music journalism and music reviews of today the sentiments in those articles can be traced back to the one sheets, and marketing materials sent out by the label. It was clear that Sub Pop, the Shins record label clearly felt like, or wanted to make it seem like this was such a departure in sound for the band that they needed to give a heads up to all the fans. I am baffled by this. What's the benefit? Is it reverse psychology? Try to draw back in a few jaded hipsters with the promise of a new direction, sure to go over the heads of the soccer moms who heard them on a McDonald's commercial? Thus returning the Shins to the indie rock obscurity they had for all of about ten minutes after their first release came out? I don't suppose Capitol had an advance media blitz for the release of Sgt. Pepper's making sure everybody knew it wasn't business as usual for the Beatles. Let the listener decide. And to add insult to injury, at no point on "Wincing the Night Away" is anyone wondering if it's the Shins they're hearing. There's some new sounds instituted, and Mercer breaks from his typical vocal pattern at times, but there's no confusion.
Real quick before this horse I'm beating becomes unrecognizable, I want to point out that even in the liner notes of the packaging we find a history of the band that includes an explanation of the record you currently own and are listening to. Stuff like "It's the sound of a band growing up", and "When you play music for a long time, you have to surprise people,and surprise yourself".
I like the album, but can't we just stick to releasing a single, and saying stuff in interviews like, "it's the most important, most best thing I've done so far in my life?"