It's hard being a Unicorns' fan. They galloped onto the scene sometime around 2003 from Montreal, with the album "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone", luring unsuspecting listeners. Everyone was having fun. Everyone was looking forward to the unicorns flying high. But, before fans could find their saddles, before the dust had even set, the Unicorns went missing. Shortly after, it was confirmed The Unicorns had split up.
Nobody knows exactly why. Some sort of bickering? In any case, the devastation that followed is ever present. Thousands of wondering fans clogging up message boards. Lying siege to whatever b-side track they can find. It seems after all that was said and done... there are still plenty of people around to cut their hair.
So something is given to you and then taken away. Its hard to get over it. And now frontman Nick Diamonds and drummer J'aime Tambeur have managed to salvage what's left of the band. It seems these two had split up only to find they were floating in the same direction anyway. Washed ashore, bruised and battered the surviving members take refuge on an Island. Ironically, the final words "I woke up thirsty on an island in the sea" on the last track of Unicorn's album, was spot on. And in many ways Islands is a band that continues the legacy of The Unicorns. Picking up the pieces, but, somewhat wiser, more grown up, and a little more cautious.
Its difficult to pick this up and pretend the Unicorns never happened.
The band has lost much of its naivety, youthful invincibility, and with that, lost the charismatic care free (almost careless) antics. Its not as fun. Its lost its cartoonish rocky horror show spectacle. Short balloon-popping tracks, are traded for more tamed and expansive songs. Smoother in production and fuller in sound, brought about by an addition of 5 new members including guest stars from Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire.
It still retains many qualities, still structureless (for the most part no choruses!) and relying heavily on sweet hooks that often just come out of nowhere. In fact, there are cheeky references to the Unicorns, where there was once jelly there is now brittle bones. There are running themes like death, and still an inconsolable voice behind a crashing of colourful instruments.
Opening track 'Swans' is a mammoth drawn out arrangement, almost orchestrated but in a messy lo-fi way. The mumbling vocals sweep through and I cant help but smile.
'Humans' is an innocuous call to arms! Momentum builds, as a marching parade assembles, trumpets out, drums pounding. Gather the kids!
'Dont call me Whitney, Bobby' is a light hearted sugary sample. Palms waving and blue skies, but with their signature underlying despair.
'Rough Gem' is very unicorns... the bells, chimes and the swaying motion of the verses will have you whistling corruption!
The dark natured, 'Where there's a Will there's a Whalebone" has to be one of the best songs. Not because of the hip hop incorporated (which they have insisted on for so long) but for those darn catchy one liners. The building blocks that these men have founded their careers on. If anything the convoluted hip hop helps to contrast and bring out the hooks.
Following the well title 'Jogging Gorgeous Summer', 'Volcanoes' continues with an epic maze of striking tunes, building up into a sing along frenzy towards the end.
'If' tones the vibrations down, with a mellow thoughtful piece, whilst the closing track 'Ones' brings the story to an end with a somewhat uncharacteristic radioheadish soundscape edge.
"Return to Sea' could pass off as a solid follow up album, which is remarkable for a band who imploded because everyone wanted to do something different.
