It must mean something that the freshest indie rock boasts tunes more substantial that what is sold in the mainstream. The Shins, an unassuming quartet originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, have not only assimilated several decades of Brit rock, chamber pop and DIY punk but have nonchalantly slipped those influences into their own intricate yet durable musical designs. On this slightly more polished successor to their 2001 debut, Oh, Inverted World, the Shins make each minute matter without strain or lapsing into fake mellowness. The band's arrangements are concise, yet singer James Mercer's melodies wander — calling for repeated plays — as odd lyrical phrases pop up over mutating guitars and keyboards. Getting intimate without giving away their secrets, the Shins walk a fine line between familiarity and mystery.

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."