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Author Topic: Islands - Return to the Sea  (Read 3602 times)

Valrus

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« on: 27 Jul 2006, 18:43 »
My girlfriend stumbled across this on eMusic by accident and I decided on a whim to download it. Boing whoop hey, it's since become my #3 album of the year (after St. Elsewhere and Bitter Tea).

That it's got a 9.5-minute track ("Swans (Life After Death)") I actually like in its entirety is one good thing; "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" is another. Wow, what a great pop song that is.

Love the guy's voice: he's certainly not an amazing singer technically but I just like how he sounds.

I hadn't even heard of the Unicorns (from whose ashes Islands apparently rose, at least in part) but after hearing this, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? was my next eMusic download. Haven't heard it yet; I'm savoring the anticipation.

Only problem is that I think it drags a little bit at the end, and the five minutes of rain before the last song actually starts is an annoyance on the same level as "Less Than You Think" on A Ghost Is Born. Still, overall, ace album IMHO.

Anyone else heard it? Thoughts?
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chamberk

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #1 on: 27 Jul 2006, 22:10 »
There are some fantastic songs on there, but unfortunately there are some pretty bad songs on there as well.  For every Rough Gem or Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby, there's an If or Humans.

That said, I loooooove WWCOHWWG.  Every track is wonderful.
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Johnny C

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #2 on: 27 Jul 2006, 22:16 »
Islands are incredibly awesome. Seriously. It's a brilliant album, too. And man, I like "Humans."
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jcknbl

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #3 on: 27 Jul 2006, 22:21 »
The Unicorns were a whole lot better. I'm jealous that you get to hear them for the first time. I predict you will adore the album.
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Valrus

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #4 on: 28 Jul 2006, 06:24 »
"Humans" is okay, I think. "If" is slow but I don't dislike it. I can't find much to like in "Ones" though.
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Garcin

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #5 on: 28 Jul 2006, 10:52 »
Great album.  Personally, I like Humans as much as Swans, but Islands is my definite favorite.  Jeph was flogging Return to the Sea as a top album of 2006 months ago.  If you haven't followed up, I think he also recommended Aloha's Some Echoes, TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain (which is super-awesome), Wilderness' Vessel States -- all of which have a somewhat similar sound in different ways (to greater and lesser degrees).  

For similar recent eclectic pop, also see Figurine's Skeleton, and Tapes 'n Tapes The Loon.  Of all of these, I'd actually put the Figurines and Tv on the Radio efforts ahead of Islands because they offer a little more aural variety, but that's just me.  I think Figurines' Ambush is definitely one of the pop tracks of the year so far.
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Kwi

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #6 on: 28 Jul 2006, 10:59 »
I saw them open for Metric, and I fell in love.  Rough Gem live is fantabulous.
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Rubby

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #7 on: 28 Jul 2006, 11:23 »
Oh God!! Listen to that Unicorns album now!!
IMO you need to have listened to WWCOHWWG to be able to appreciate Return to the Sea.
Sure Islands are great and all, but man...The Unicorns! Come On!
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Valrus

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #8 on: 28 Jul 2006, 11:36 »
Quote from: Rubby
Oh God!! Listen to that Unicorns album now!!
IMO you need to have listened to WWCOHWWG to be able to appreciate Return to the Sea.
Sure Islands are great and all, but man...The Unicorns! Come On!


The italicized part smacks of elitism. Apparently you can "like" an album without "appreciating" it? News to me.

I have WWCOHWWG. I will listen to it when I'm good and ready. Keep your frickin' pants on.
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Sythe

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #9 on: 28 Jul 2006, 11:43 »
I saw them in January(?). Awesomezor to tha max.
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Rubby

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #10 on: 28 Jul 2006, 12:01 »
Quote from: Valrus
Apparently you can "like" an album without "appreciating" it?

Yes!
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Praeserpium Machinarum

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #11 on: 28 Jul 2006, 13:22 »
Quote
For similar recent eclectic pop, also see Figurine's Skeleton, and Tapes 'n Tapes The Loon. Of all of these, I'd actually put the Figurines and Tv on the Radio efforts ahead of Islands because they offer a little more aural variety, but that's just me. I think Figurines' Ambush is definitely one of the pop tracks of the year so far.


I wholeheartedly agree with the Figurines, one of Denmark's best indierock bands and they deserve all the recognition they can get. Though I like their first album Shake A Mountain better than Skeleton. I saw them once, they are great live too.
Actually I haven't heard any Islands(I am not that indie I guess), but Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone was more peculiar than full-on good.
I'll go give them a listen shall I...
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penpen17

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #12 on: 28 Jul 2006, 14:41 »
The Islands put on one hell of a live performance

I've actually gotten kind of sick of the album by now, but it was really high on my playcounts for a while.
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Polish Tiger

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #13 on: 29 Jul 2006, 06:04 »
I think actually that all the songs on their debut are quite good, but my favourite is track numero uno.

So they're good live? I just got home from the Roskilde Festival at the time they played here in Stockholm so I missed out on them, bummer.
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sjbrot

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Islands - Return to the Sea
« Reply #14 on: 30 Jul 2006, 22:59 »
I love live Islands, and I would go see them again and again and again. That said, I found that Return to the Sea was hit and miss. While there are some awesome songs on there, some others are ruined by their production - I'm looking at you, "Jogging Gorgeous Summer"... and don't think you can hide in the back, "Where There's a Will There's a Whalebone", you were awesome live! - and others are just not the best. Plus, I feel the album kinda stumbles to a close with a series of so-so tracks. It's really front loaded.

And when you got live assets like Chow and Guthrie, use them on the album. I couldn't give a hoot that you managed to rangle Belle Orchestre into the studio; Chow and his compadre rock.
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