Results tagged “islands”

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s natural to gravitate towards all things dreary and sinister leading up to October 31st. Especially in light of the gloomy weather in Central Texas lately. But if you’re in the mood for irresistible melodies garnished with glistening synthesizer and drum machine beats, head down to The Mohawk tonight for a hearty helping of Islands’ shiny pop songs. Although the Canadian band’s lyrics have been known to contain some dark subject matter, their forte is undeniable hooks and hum-along choruses, the kind that bounce around in your head all day. The duo of Nick Thorburn and Jamie Thompson formed Islands in 2005 following the demise of The Unicorns and released their debut album Return To The Sea in April of 2006. Thompson left the band shortly after, leaving Thorburn to spearhead 2008’s Arm’s Way but rejoined the ranks prior to Vapours. The new album (released last month) finds Thorburn, Thompson, and company in good form, fine-tuning an accessible collection of atmospheric synth-pop soundscapes to perfection.

But compared to Arcade Fire’s thunderous aspirations, Clues seems happily intent on a tempest-in-teapot sound that is refreshing in an era chock full of bands bent on sounding bigger than they really are by at least two members. It’s clear that the eccentric charm of the Montreal rock scene and its gifted musicians are going to just keep giving.

Islands = Mania. That's a good way to start, as facepainted lead singer Nick Thorburn waxes eloquent or arrogant on stage, and the Montreal six-piece come together in a clattering display of Graceland-influenced indie, not to mention the occasional rap, and pretty much anything else you can throw in there. Their latest record, Arm's Way, which some love, and some don't so much love, is a collection of twenty-first century rock songs bordering on the brooding, though the light-hearted catastrophizing that marked their debut album still pops up in places; it will be more than interesting to see these elaborate arrangements manifested on stage.

At first, it'd be easy to mistake Fleet Foxes for old-school My Morning Jacket, or even present-day commercial heroes Band of Horses. After all, they've got that Americana thing going, it seems at times that they're drowning in reverb, you'd assume everyone's got long hair, et cetera. But if their excellent debut EP wasn't enough to make it clear that this Washington quintet is a much different beast—and a gorgeous one at that—their first full-length should do the trick.