Simple Song album art

Simple Song

The Shins
Port of Morrow (2012)
Moderate 120 BPM
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Song DNA

Dynamic Range6/10
Sudden Changesmild
Texturelayered
Predictabilitymedium
Vocal Styledynamic vocals
Notes: The song features a bright and uplifting melody with layered instrumentation that creates a rich auditory experience. The dynamic vocals add emotional depth while maintaining a sense of accessibility.

Misophonia Triggers

Mouth Soundsnone
Percussive Clicksmild
Breathing Soundsnone
Repetitive Micro-soundsmild

A vibrant and catchy indie rock song that explores themes of love and self-reflection.

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Hear it the way it was made

The right gear changes everything.

Moods: joyful, reflective

Traditions: indie rock

How this song sits on each sensory axis

A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.

Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.

Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.

Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.

Vocal style: dynamic vocals.

Where this sits in The Shins's catalog

We have 20 songs from The Shins in the library. Of those, 0 are rated Safe, 20 Moderate, and 0 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits at the artist average of 6.0, making it the #16 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.

Other tracks from Port of Morrow

We have 2 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.

2012 context

Released in 2012. We have 261 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2010s.

Explore by mood and tradition

Moods
joyful · 2034reflective · 5792
Traditions
indie rock · 1109

Why this rating

We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.

Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-17. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.

Think this rating is wrong? Email the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.

Songs with the same DNA

layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.

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Oumou Sangare
moderate
DR 7
More Than You Thought
Flume
moderate
DR 7
The Taxi
Young Marble Giants
moderate
DR 5
Flying on the Ground Is Wrong
Buffalo Springfield
moderate
DR 6
Dirt
Snail Mail
moderate
DR 7
Black Sun
Death Cab for Cutie
moderate
DR 7

Safer alternatives with a similar feel

These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.

This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie safe
Sky's the Limit
The Notorious B.I.G. safe
Carey
Joni Mitchell safe
Happy Birthday
Stevie Wonder safe
Love Is Everywhere (Beware)
Wilco safe

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