The Shins Are Literally Resurrected in Halloween-y New Song and Video “Dead Alive”

You’d think 12 years would be enough, but no, the Shins have never escaped the wavy-haired shadow of Zach Braff,​ which is a shame because they have some good songs that just aged kinda poorly. The band’s frontman James Mercer, now the sole original member, has put them on hiatus a whole bunch this decade as he works with Broken Bells and other projects, but it looks like his main gig is gearing back up with a surprise Halloween-themed release called “Dead Alive.”

The song is what it is, an amiable indie rocker, but the video is disjointed and odd. Mercer’s tombstone is displayed at the beginning and from then on he’s in several places and forms at once, most prominently as a guitar-playing, bearded skeleton. Is this a metaphor for something? The Shins’ career? As usual, it’s probably not that deep. Watch the “Dead Alive” video below.

​Phil will now resume playing ‘Chutes Too Narrow’ and pondering the passage of time. ​He’s on Twitter.​