The Shins announce new album Heartworms

Over a decade has now passed since Natalie Portman's famous declaration that The Shins would "change your life", in Zach Braff's 2004 mopey-dude-gets-his-shit-together flick Garden State – in that time, frontman James Mercer has busied himself with side project Broken Bells (a collaboration with Gnarls Barkley's Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse), tried his hand at acting (alongside Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia fame) and, occasionally, released the odd Shins album inbetween.

Largely self-produced, new album Heartworms will be their first offering since 2012's Port of Morrow, and their fifth album overall. Released via Columbia and Mercer's own label Aural Apothecary on 10 March, you can stream new track Name For You (a call for female empowerment inspired by Mercer’s three daughters) and check out the full tracklist and album artwork below.

Name For You follows fellow album track Dead Alive, released as a "Halloween gift" in late 2016.

Joined by a new Shins line-up, consisting of Yuuki Matthews (bass), Jon Sortland (drums), Mark Watrous (guitar/keyboards), Casey Foubert (guitar) and Patti King (keys), Mercer has also announced a world tour – including a UK date at London's Hammersmith Apollo (29 March). Tickets go on sale 13 Jan.  

Heartworms tracklist

1. Name for You
2. Painting a Hole
3. Cherry Hearts
4. Fantasy Island
5. Mildenhall
6. Rubber Ballz
7. Half a Million
8. Dead Alive
9. Heartworms
10. So Now What
11. The Fear