Future Islands / Singles
Album: Singles   Collection:General
Artist:Future Islands   Added:May 2014
Label:4AD  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2014-05-23 Pull Date: 2014-07-25
Week Ending: Jul 27 Jul 20 Jun 15 Jun 8 Jun 1 May 25
Airplays: 1 2 5 5 9 2

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 15, 2023: KZSU Time Traveler
Seasons (Waiting On You)
4. Apr 27, 2023: down in the basement
Seasons (Waiting On You)
2. May 06, 2023: Hanging In The Boneyard
A Song For Our Grandfathers
5. Dec 24, 2022: Hanging In The Boneyard
A Song For Our Grandfathers
3. May 03, 2023: Altitude Sickness
Seasons (Waiting On You)
6. Nov 18, 2022: The Great British Breakfast
Lighthouse

Album Review
Alejandra Salazar
Reviewed 2014-05-23
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.

Track Listing
1. Seasons (Waiting On You)   6. A Song For Our Grandfathers
2. Spirit   7. Lighthouse
3. Sun In The Morning   8. Like The Moon
4. Doves   9. Fall From Grace
5. Back In The Tall Grass   10. A Dream Of You And Me