One sign of a talented band is when the live shape of its songs differs from the album's arrangements. The latest data point in favor of my little theory is the Shins. The Albuquerque, N.M., band played one of Denver’s bigger indie-rock venues, and while not quite a sellout (I’d guess 300 people were in the audience), the place was certainly full. “We played here with Modest Mouse, but we never expected to see so many people here for us,” remarked singer/guitarist James Mercer as the Shins took the stage. “Thanks a lot.”

The set list (about 10 songs) was mostly culled from last year’s full-length debut, Oh, Inverted World, and almost every tune sounded noticeably different from the way it does on the album. The guitar was muted, the keyboards more prominent and even some lyrics were changed. The first part of the set included “Girl On The Wing,” “Girl Inform Me,” “One By One All Day” and an older song called “My 7th Rib.” Somewhere near the middle of the show, the Shins played a slow, deliberate version of “New Slang,” with Mercer nearly speaking his lyrics. Later, the Shins ended with a rather rockin’ version of “Pressed In A Book,” a nice change of pace that made it one of my favorites of the night.

For the encore, Mercer and Co. resurrected “Mieke,” a genius pop song they recorded about five years ago under the name Flake Music. (A quick aside: Omnibus Records has just reissued Flake Music's 1997 LP, When You Land Here, It's Time To Return.) The night ended with a cover of the Jesus And Mary Chain's “Taste Of Cindy” (if you’ve seen the video for “New Slang,” you know this choice fits perfectly) and Inverted World track “Caring Is Creepy.” The night looked forward as well, as the Shins previewed a few new songs. Reportedly, the band plans to release two of its new tracks—alongside a few b-sides and live material—on an EP due in the fall. This show only reinforced what I already felt: You can sign me up for pretty much anything the Shins do.