[ | | | 2 interested person(s) ]

I am getting more and more skeptical as the endlessly mounting"the"-Bands continue their onslaught of American music scene. Maybe its because this band didn't begin with "the" that allowed me to bypass my this apprehension of mine and check out them out. The new Islands record Return to the Sea is due out April 18th.

Islands are a Montreal 7 piece band founded by former Unicorns front man Nick Diamonds and drummer J'aime Tambeur. Their sound is varied and no song sounds quite the same. This album has crazy multi-instrumentation with different instruments attacking your ears at every turn. Rough Gem is undeniably catchy and I am sure Island's first single. Another one of my favorite tracks is the jazz sounding If. Volcanos is another track that is a sure fire pleaser.

I can't place their sound but it is definitely unique from other indie groups out there today. Its infectious and highly enjoyable. Check out what Pitchfork has to say.

John Motley of Pitchfork:

Return to the Sea is a case of Diamonds and Tambeur yanking up their anchor and setting sail for new waters, enjoying the freedoms of exploration and discovery. At no point in the record does it feel as if Diamonds is settling into any one genre or style-- hardly a surprise from this shape-shifting songwriter. It won't be a shock if, say, Diamonds and Tambeur announce 18 months from now that Islands is kaput and they're kickstarting another new band. And who really cares? As long as they continue to write songs as striking and immediate as the batch on Return to the Sea, their fans will follow them anywhere.

Mp3: Islands - "If"
Mp3: Islands - "Rough Gem"

Buy Islands' record here and here.

2 interested person(s)

jds said... @ 4/15/2006 08:14:00 PM

Funny thing is that the two founding members of Islands are from the defunct, but highly lauded, The Unicorns. Perhaps they chose their current moniker in preparation for the "The" backlash.

K said... @ 4/15/2006 11:30:00 PM

I think you might be on to something my good friend JDS.

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