Islands
Ah, those quirky Canadians! Just what will they do next? I'll answer my own question with this: Islands. It's a Quebec-based indie band risen from the ashes of the critically acclaimed band, The Unicorns, which seemingly imploded shortly after laudatory praise for their Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? on year end lists. Drummer J'aime Tambeur and singer Nick Diamonds, two-thirds of the now-defunct Unicorns, are forging a new identity with Islands, a seven piece, sprawling collective, where members join and leave with a certain nomadic quality.
All of which makes perfect sense, sorta, when you listen to the music: strangely beautiful, quirky pop melodies combined with sprawling instrumentation, a wicked sense of humor, combined two parts winking precociousness and freewheeling play. While the Unicorns' songs were sometimes so spare they could be called skeletons, the Islands use some of those same tricks (threatening synths, trembly duets) but ditches the lo-fi quality for some high fidelity. They also go ahead and mine much richer territory of tools: violin, horns, keyboards, the works. Instead of hitting the single dark and doom-filled note, the songs transition back and forth, and sometimes find themselves happy, sunny, even joyful. Islands' debut album, Return to the Sea, teeters back and both from sparse, carefully doled out phrases and parts to full on, tension-filled orchestral jams bursting with energy, with the occasional rap breakdown.
Islands currently boasts an all-star lineup, including but not limited to a Togo born bass player who formerly played with Prince, Woody Guthrie's grandson, two brothers who were former NES champions who play "Mario Paint Music Maker" in the group, and two LA-based rappers.
Islands - Swans (Life After Death)
Islands - Rough Gem
Islands - Tsuxiit
Islands' official site. Return to the Sea will be out on Equator Records in North America on April 4th. Pre-order it from Amazon. Islands plays Thursday, March 16 at 12:30 a.m. at Emo's IV.
Shadows tags:islands.
Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 03.03.06 at 1:38 AM
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