1. "The Arm"
2. "Pieces of You"
3. "J'aime Vous Voire Quitter"
4. "Abominable Snow"
5. "Creeper"
6. "Kids Don't Know ****"
7. "Life in Jail"
8. "In the Rushes"
9. "We Swim"
10. "To a Bond"
11. "I Feel Evil Creeping In"
12. "Vertigo (If It's a Crime)"
Time to try and expand my horizons again, this time with some new music. 2008's "Arms Way" the second album by Indie-rockers Islands. Got this album based on a strong recommendation from a former student.
Have to admit I really like the complex and full well orchestrated sound, still there is some ways to go for this band as far as writing songs that flow together well and fitting the vocals with the music. At times it feels a little forced sure, but it does not totally distract from the enjoyment of the music. It's a front loaded album with a lot of memorable riffs and melodies contained in the first 3-5 tracks.
This seems to be a band with a wide array of influences searching for their own identity as something other then talented young musicians. Trying to find a collective face to put on the music will be their primary charge for future albums. The addition of classical influenced strings as a backdrop to many of the tracks gives them a memorable sound, but generic vocals and guitar leads sort of trap them in as just another sound on the modern landscape. It would be nice for them to embrace their pop influences a little more in terms of writing composing shorter more direct numbers. A lot of tracks go on too long and descend into complacency.
Overall it's far from a stinker, but still at this point more deliberation is requred before the jury comes to a verdict.
Tracks I enjoy: "The Arm", "Pieces of You", "Kid's Don't Know ****", "We Swim"
Grade: B-