FUTURE ISLANDS
PEOPLE WHO AREN’T THERE ANYMORE
4AD
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Itβs been a long wait for Future Islandsβ latest effort, with it being four years since their last release, the acclaimed As Long As You Are. Thankfully, it only takes a few bars of title track βKing Of Swedenβ to note the band is just as on form as ever. The same sonic joy, tortured, opaque lyrics, and bass and synth-led grooves are all still present, and itβs amazing, comforting fun.
Never knowingly predictable, though, this record shows a newer, rawer side of Future Islands. At times it almost sounds as though theyβve swapped lyric sheets with label-mates The National, and the albumβs all the better and deeper for it. Thereβs still plenty to dance to here, with βThe Towerβ and βSay Goodbyeβ carrying that load, but thereβs a darker edge on tracks such as βDeep In The Nightβ or βThe Thiefβ that mark an introspectiveness about their sound and lyricism that matches some of the best music that Future Islands has ever put out.
If itβs true that musicβs power is to be able to make you both cry and want to dance, then Future Islands nail the balance perfectly, particularly on the albumβs magnum opus, the unsettlingly beautiful power-pop of βThe Fightβ, which is a strangely emotional, spacey masterpiece. Itβs clear that this album was written by hearts and brains that have a lot to share. Lucky, then, that weβre all around to hear it, for this album is an early standard-bearer for the new musical year.
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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FUTURE ISLANDS – PEOPLE WHO AREN’T THERE ANYMORE
John Porter