Islands: new single and album details
Fri 31 Jul 2009
No You Don’t
Islands are back with an awesomely catchy new single called ‘No You Don’t', in the lead-up to the September 22 ANTI- Records release of their third album Vapours. The song is surprisingly reggae-ish in tempo and rhythm, but with trademark shimmering, squelching synths and rawk-out guitars, this is a sound more curious and straight-forward poppy than their previous more lush, orchestral and beefed-out records (2006’s Return To The Sea and last year’s Arm’s Way). I don’t know about you, but I really like it! Ringleader, ex-Unicorns member Nick Thornburn (nee Diamonds) said in a recent interview, “I needed to withdraw from overblown metaphors and filling every possible sonic space. So this record is just made up of sequenced programming, synths, drum machines, guitars, and real bass. And an electric sitar.”
There are only four members on the new record – Thornburn, Jamie “J’aime Tambourine” Tambour (Thornburn’s Unicorns bandmate who was on the first Islands album) and brothers Evan and Geordie Gordon from the Magic.”
Look forward to Vapours being more hip hop and playful than Thornburn’s previous gore-themed indie albums. Thornburn says, “I feel like Vapours is going to catch people and cast a spell on them. It’s manifest destiny; I got tendinitis right after I made Arm’s Way, so I feel like I’m trying to change things in a positive way here. But this new album still casts the doubt on whether or not I’m able to entertain and cast vapours. It’s not a completely confident picture.”
Thornburn also says he’s “mildly serious” that there may be some auto-tune on the album. We’ll have to wait and see for that! Islands are doing an extensive North American tour beginning next month. Many dates are scheduled to be with support from ex-Be Your Own Pet frontwoman Jemina Pearl, check Islands’ myspace page for dates.
Posted by Sarah Gooding under Canada
