Customer Reviews

On the Water

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me preface this review by saying that 2010's "In Evening Air" was my favorite album of the year, so naturally I came into "On The Water" expecting something really exceptional. Fortunately for myself and all Future Islands fans, the band has delivered on high expectations and created an album that may have even more to offer than their exceptional 2010 breakout record.

"In Evening Air" was a sprawling and propulsive breakup jam, spilling over with hurt and visceral energy that belied the simplicity of lead singer Sam Herring's pain. As a man betrayed, Herring ran the gamut of negative emotion on that album, but there was no transformation: he finished that album as bleak as he started it, the buoying synths no match for his howl. "On The Water" is the aftermath, the realization that you can't stay hurt forever, and that "if you want it to heal/it just takes time."

"On The Water" is a fairly small stylistic step forward for the band. The arrangements have been fleshed out with more instrumentation, including strings, live drums, and some very edgy guitars. These new instruments add some additional depth to the mixes, but the core of their music remains the watery synthesizers and driving, high-register bass. For songwriting, the band is in top-form, putting together arrangements with more depth than the simplistic verse-chorus structures of "In Evening Air." The emotional expressions in Herring's lyrics are also in peak form, with Herring taking on more the role of poet than lyricist. One of my favorite verses goes as follows: "We set out to find something to hold/when seeking truth the answer is the road/when seeking wisdom the journey is your home/fight through the wind, fight through the rain, fight through the cold." Herring has a penchant for symbolism and metaphor on this record in place of the heart-wrenching honesty of "In Evening Air"s songs.

One of the few complaints I have with this album is that I feel in a few places they fail to flesh out a song to its full potential. The greatest example of this is on the fifth track "Where I Found You." Throughout the song, the band continues to layer in additional instrumentation, first with the addition of a slinking bass followed by a very tight, punchy drum, but just when you think the song is going to erupt into a gorgeous cacophony, it simply keeps flowing in place until a fade-out at the 6-minute mark. For me, this song is the most disappointing moment on the record, if only because I feel like this could have been their greatest song if it had been built up to the rafters and blown apart.

I was introduced to Future Islands "On the Water" by NPR's first listen and was compelled to buy it. After listening over several months I now mention it to friends as one of my favorite new albums of 2011. While the songs are full of longing and melancholy their beauty makes me feel happy and hopeful. I continue to be intrigued by the water theme here; the song "On the Water" opens with the sound of cables slapping on a mast and you can hear the gentle waves in the background of "Tybee Island". Listening to the full album I feel carried along by the gentle waves of music. Thematic albums such as this and Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago are a weak spot of mine. My other new favorite this year is Diamond Mine which invokes a coastal Scottish village. On the water also reminds me of Wye Oak's wonderful Civilian which I enjoy as well but not quite as much as this or Diamond Mine.

Never heard of this band prior to this release, but they are quite honestly one of the best bands of the 21st century. Not much else to say other than this is fantastic music you should check out ASAP. Plays like a redneck version of The Cure (Faith and Desintegration albums) mixed with Pink Floyd, heavy bass and synths and refreshingly deep lyrics. Vocals are similar to Grant Lee Buffalo. If you're an affecionado of independent and brilliant music, you must check out this band, 5 stars is really not enough.

When I say second best album of the year, you should know that I own around 100 albums (physical copies)from 2011, and have heard maybe around 2 or 3 hundred. I compulsively try to listen to everything that comes out in hopes of finding the truly greats. And make no mistake, with the Future Islands "On the Water", a close second to Bon Iver's album in the best of 2011 for me. There's is such a unique and heartfelt style of indie/synth/pop/rock and the dynamic vocals of the lead-singer who at times gurgles and growls his words out like an angry wolf, and at times his voice is of and tired warrior. This is one of my favorite all time albums and is one that I will cherish forever.

Heard this entire album while shopping in a vintage store in Chicago yesterday.
Blown away - just love it.
Mellow, accessible dark music that isn't mopey. ha
So excited to download and get it into my ears for further inspection!
stephanie