The Shins' first studio album in five years, following the release of 2007's Wincing the Night Away, followed major lineup changes in the group: founding members Dave Hernandez (bass, guitar), Marty Crandall (keyboards) and Jesse Sandoval (drums) departed in 2009.

Primarily a collaboration between Mercer and Kurstin, the album features contributions from former members: Dave Hernandez, Martin Crandall, Eric D. Johnson and Ron Lewis; alongside drummer Joe Plummer, and other studio contributors, including Janet Weiss and Nik Freitas.

Mercer penned lyrics based around his newfound fatherhood, the love for his family, as well as nostalgic memories of his childhood in Germany and his rough adolescent transition to the United States.

The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and received largely favorable reviews from contemporary critics, with some deeming it among the band's best, while others felt it disjointed following the departure of its principal members.

[5] Working with Burton on Broken Bells helped Mercer overcome fears of collaboration, which in turn influenced the rotating "cast of characters" that grouped together around him to record Port of Morrow.

"I always loved these auteurs who presented themselves as bands," Mercer later explained, referencing Neutral Milk Hotel and Lilys as examples, which led to him feeling as though he could pursue something similar, allowing the concept of The Shins to carry on.

[12] Spin called Port of Morrow a "brighter, poppier beast than previous ventures, filled with spacey '70s keyboards and surprisingly straightforward lyrics.

Mercer has stated in interviews that the main themes on Port of Morrow include love (inspired by his newfound domestic life and fatherhood) and the dual nature of life—the beautiful and the grotesque—being intertwined.

[14] "The Rifle's Spiral", the album's first track, is written from the perspective of a man who finances suicide bombings, and contains elements of Mercer's distrust and fear of religion which can fuel violence.

The trip resulted in a period of anxiety that Mercer was able to overcome when his oldest sister, whom he regarded as both motherly and "cool" enough to recall the "weirdness of adolescence," moved back in with the family.

"[15] With that inspiration, Mercer crafted the song as a tale of a young German boy living in an apartment complex with one of the high-school-age girls, with whom he becomes infatuated without knowing her overnight activities.

Paste was arguably the most positive, calling the record "just so utterly satisfying," elaborating that "Port of Morrow immediately hooks the listener and holds on tight right up until the last few seconds.

"[29] Q called Port of Morrow an "album rich in kaleidoscopic colour to contrast the diluted greys of its sleeve, marked with the expert touch of true masters of their art.

"[30] Pitchfork described the record as "a triumphant return from a project that once risked being reduced to an indie-went-mainstream tagline," opining that, "It's the perfect distillation of the Shins' back catalog [...] But in other ways, its colorful, detail-oriented approach sets it apart from anything Mercer's done before.

"[24] Rolling Stone wrote that "[Mercer] nails a balance of economy and sweep, matching the studio lushness he craves with secondhand melodicism [...] Port of Morrow has more of a studio-sculpture auteurist vibe than ever.

"[25] Heather Phares of Allmusic considered the record more focused than its predecessor, despite the lack of a core band, adding, "There's no pretense of democracy nor of being "indie" here, things that might be easier to decry if these weren't some of Mercer's best songs since Chutes Too Narrow.

"[32] Uncut wrote that "The pair's [Mercer and Kurstin] pop instincts ultimately prevail over more esoteric ambitions,"[33] and Slant Magazine felt Port of Morrow less important than the band's other works, but did not rule out the likelihood that "many of its subtle strengths will grow more powerful with time.