Send "Future Islands " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Samuel T. Herring, lyricist and lion-throated singer of Baltimore synth-romantics Future Islands, has written a lot of break-up songs. He penned some pretty vitriolic ones on the band's 2008 debut, Wave Like Home, and then he wrote an entire record's worth on their terrific 2010 release, In Evening Air. About four songs into their latest-- which contains such boldfaced melodrama as "I loved you and I still do"-- you get the idea that this guy might be something of a Sisyphus, relieved at last of the whole boulder-up-the-hill business but doomed to sit on the receiving end of an "It's not you, it's me" conversation ad infinitum.Future Islands initially came out of Baltimore's Wham City scene; their first, rather unexceptional record was built from electro-punk and day-glo squiggles. Over the past few years, though, they've become more aesthetically disciplined. The thing that made In Evening Air such a bruiser was how seriously it took its job as a break-up album: Its gaze was singularly affixed on hurt. Herring's lyrics were simplistic and conversational, yet pointed: "You couldn't possibly know how much you meant to me," "You hurt me so bad," etc. Amidst a steady, drum-machine heartbeat and uncommonly sentient-sounding synths, he repeated these lines-- the banal poetry of relationship-speak-- until they started to sound downright sinister. His refrain on "Long Flight" builds from a quietly mounting frenzy into, by song's end, a full blown, grown-man temper tantrum. Listening to the part when he finally breaks evokes the skin-prickling claustrophobia of watching a mild-mannered airplane seatmate start to freak out 30,000 feet above an exit route. Their third and latest LP, On the Water, is more invested in wide-open spaces. The opening (and title) track gives all the elements of the band's sound more leg room: Herring's unhurried vocals, epic, smoldering synths, and the steady churn of a not-too-choppy tide on a sample that begins the song. Recorded in a friend's house in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, overlooking the Pasquotank River, On the Water draws from the imagery and movement of the sea. It's less intent on bringing the drama or the fury than In Evening Air was, but its reflections on aging and memory accumulate into something surprisingly moving....full text |
| Musicomh |
| Future Islands return after the briefest of gaps to follow up their acclaimed album In Evening Air. The new work takes their musical aptitude and applies it to a concept - but this is no concept album. Straddling visceral and mellow, they're onto something once again with On The Water. The concept's an interesting one. The album is meant to take the listener on a journey through their memories, evoking emotion by creating songs which are deliberately open-ended enough lyrically to fit anybody's experiences, and draws 'aural memories' by reminding listeners of their own experiences of the greats who've influenced this album. Those influences are certainly laid bare musically. The promo material might list New Order and David Bowie, but the album evokes Crowded House or U2 equally validly. Indeed, there is art to the way Sam Herring and his motley crew go about constructing their creation. There's something in the octave bells and Herring's husky growl in Where I Found You which slips the listener right back to the '90s. Lyrically, to give but one example, the way "I remember a room" becomes "I remember your room" in the next line presumably intentionally mimics the piecemeal nature of the recovery of memory. Elsewhere, the phrase "with or without you" is almost certainly not throwaway, given the sound and feel of the track. Meanwhile, On The Water provides a plodding, purposive intro, speared through by an arresting vocal entry, whose rhythm and variation of length adds a new dimension to the texture. First single Before The Bridge is almost like looking at the music through the glass in an aquarium, so distant and ethereal is the background hum. Herring sounds a little like a Jack Black parody of his own voice - but that's not a problem. Quirky, yes, but pretty engaging, offering a flamboyant streak over the busy timbres underneath. There is space for the truly gripping. Give Us The Wind is nothing short of empowering, if a little crazed in its fanaticism. There's something slightly unhinged but brilliant in lines like "we set out to find something to hold/ but in seeking truth the answer is the road". Rollaround rhythms and forward momentum make this an uplifting anthem, not just a dead piece of 'concept'....full text |
| Thewildhoneypie |
| Future Islands (@futureislands) have truly gone nautical for their third album On the Water, which features vocal arrangements that make singer Samuel T. Herring sound as though he’s crooning from the shoreline. He may very well be, though, since the entire album was recorded in the historical waterfront house of Andrew S. Sander on the North Carolina shore. Used for the dual purpose of recording studio and home for the trio, the peaceful getaway allowed for their most reflective and deep album to date. “Before the Bridge”, the highlight of the release, keeps the record’s otherwise ominous overtone in check by making room for uplifting hooks and cheery synths. Following more closely to the overall sound, though, the title track begins with distant, airy sounds as a beat steadily crescendos in with spacey synths, alleviating the song from the impending possibility of monotony. Romantic-edged tracks seem to be the focus of On the Water, particularly with the pairing of male and female vocals in “The Great Fire” and the lyricism of “Where I Found You”. With a bright synth progression and a slow, sneaking bass line, “Where I Found You” contains very pointed moments for such a wistful ballad. Simplistic lines such as, “You know I loved you, and I still do,” cut straight to the point — raw while maintaining the aching beauty that Future Islands have mastered. With ebbing waves as the backing track, “Tybee Island” bottles up the ocean and solidifies the album’s beach feel. Featuring orchestral string accents and ambient sounds, the music almost completely drowns out Herring’s haunting, near-chant singing. Though this song and the rest of the album heavily feature synth instrumentation, the fast paced guitar riffs of “Close to None” beautifully cut across Herring’s words amongst tambourines and organ-style piano. Future Islands are certainly not a one-trick band; their sound ranges from haunting to upbeat dance in the blink of an eye. With heavy influences from bands such as New Order, and a self-described “post-wave” sound, Future Islands ensure familiarity with their new release but still employ fresh techniques. Using pulsing rhythms, swelling sounds, and hooks that can wake the dead, On the Water is absolutely worthy of attention....full text |
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