Singles

Future Islands
Singles, 2014

If I had to brand this a particular genre, I would go with buzzy new wave with a touch of indie rock melodrama. However, the best thing about Singles is that it's a great smorgasbord of musical influences and moods. Some of this sounds a bit Beach House-y, other parts have me thinking of a Helio Sequence brand of electronic, and they've got a pseudo-vintage scratchy feel that you get when listening to groups like the Generationals. Tonally, you've got everything from lighthearted summer vibes to melancholy self-reflection. Worth playing through the entire thing.

1. **(3:46) Opens with a buzzy, whimsical synth and this gorgeous bassline that builds up to one of the catchiest choruses I've heard in recent releases. Earnest lyrics that you will be singing along to quite a bit.
2. *(4:22) Toe-tapping. Very 80s. Indiscernible vocals, but excellent pop song nonetheless.
3. **(3:48) Some really nice shifts between ballad-y and dance-y tunes. You've got some trumpets (?) coming into play, and the vocal/instrumental layering in the last minute is fantastic, with "ooohs" and "aaahs" that bump this song up from great to fantastic.
4. (3:28) Lighthearted backing melody with high keys and overall bouncy vibe.
5. *(4:15) Slower than the others, but the driving percussion is very solid. There's some synth/keys/bass/backing vocals that innocently float in and out of the picture, which is very much appreciated.
6. **(4:55) Slowest in the album, a bit reflective, with extra buzz and this some dreamy guitar in the background. Some beautiful echoing and synth in the chorus.
7. (4:47) Really focused on the vocals here, and everything here feels classically ~indie~. Good song, just not the best on the album.
8. (4:40) Also solid, slow ~indie~ vibes. Really poetic lyrics, and very self-contained in terms of not letting any one instrument have any particularly striking instances.
9. **(4:15) More melancholy! The vocals get really, really scratchy here; the singer's really feeling it and the emotional buildup is really, really well done. Light backing synth/keys in the verses contrast well with the heavy moody bass and buzzing guitar in the chorus.
10. *(3:59) A great balance between the lightness and the melancholy of the rest of the album. I'm digging the keys, which are having quite a bit of fun behind some synth/guitar that have got that highway drive/beach day vibe going on.