After the solid indie pop from The Shins, band leader James Mercer wanted to record the same songs again. But then really different! He calls The Worms Heart a 'flipped collection'. By that he means that everything has been turned around. The last song has become the album opener, quiet songs are now fast and hard songs softer. Listeners who get scared of this kind of experiment need not fear
… anything. On paper, The Worms Heart might seem like an insane creative record. But this 'flipped collection' is not a flipped collection. Everything remains very civilized and all songs remain intact. They are just colored slightly differently. Former title track Heartworms is indeed much more frivolous and crazier, but Rubber Ballz is now much more traditional (vocals and guitar) than in the previous version. It depends on your mood and taste which versions you like better.more