Rudy Klapper 2008-07-25

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

There seems to be no dam on the creative juices of Islands frontman Nick "Diamonds" Thorburn, erstwhile leader of one-and-done indie heroes The Unicorns and artistic freak of nature. While I haven't had the pleasure of diving into Islands' first release, Return To The Sea, I'd be hard pressed to find another album as chock-full of wildly divergent ideas as Arm's Way. And the amazing thing is that most of these crazy sketches actually work out for the best.

Opener "The Arm" starts off softly with a tinge of crashing cymbals here, a gentle guitar melody there, topped off with a slowly building hum, before exploding into one of the most epic guitar riffs I've heard in indie rock this year, complete with arching violins and enough musical shifts to last half an album (the marching interlude is particularly effective). But the song doesn't lose itself; Thorburn's chameleonic voice directs the song where he wants it to go and its varied stages flow along naturally.

With such a good start, it's hard to see how Islands can keep up the momentum, but they give it their best shot with the jittery indie-pop of "Pieces of You," which sounds like a jaunty sea chantey with a superb chorus to match. Thorburn's lyrics are cryptic and obtuse at turns, and his twisted sense of humor is never in short supply: "They found your bones in the homes of a thousand little gnomes / who've taken pieces for decoration" is just one tidbit.

"J'aime Vous Voire Quitter" sounds like Wolf Parade on speed with an absurd surf-rock outro as a bonus, and "Creeper" is a sexy, slightly disturbing metaphor of murder and love driven by staccato strings and a slinky guitar line.

The album is irrefutably dark, the lyrics, at least those one can understand, often about death in some form or another. This is balanced by the lush production, which was no doubt ramped up considerably due to their move to a bigger label, and songs bounce along on pleasing guitar pulses and sweeping string arrangements.

The sheer amount of ideas tends to overwhelm the album shortly after the first 7-minute song, "In The Rushes." Usually, one 7-minute long song is enough for an indie-pop record, but Islands crams another and an 11-minute finale to boot. "Rushes" energy never flags, hopping between baroque pop to arena rock and back with ease and imagination, but it causes the following songs to pale in comparison. "To A Bond" nearly matches "Rushes" inspiration, taking Thorburn's violin fixation to a whole new level and shaping up to be another promising epic, but throws away its potential in the last two minutes in a maelstrom of sonic junk.

Bloated closer "Vertigo (If It's A Crime) is a fitting summation of the preceding record, somehow evoking practically of the album's different styles and bringing everything from calypso rhythms to blazing guitar rock to jangly indie pop, coalescing in a mind-numbing kitchen-sink of a jam to close the song. It's excessive, schizophrenic, and all over the place, but is also confident, inventive, and fairly bursting with creativity. The same can be said for the rest of Arm's Way, and while sometime Islands' ideas may run away from them, more often than not they end up with something new and remarkably accomplished.

E. A Solinas 2008-07-06

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Hear ye, hear ye -- the Islands have clearly discovered the joy of violins and guitars. And man, are they going to work it for all it's worth.

But that isn't the only change in the Islands' sound in their sophomore album "Arm's Way." The entire album is brimming with unabashed energy and blazing weirdness that their first album dabbled in (remember "Jogging Gorgeous Summer"?), but with more gritty rock'n'roll and more exuberantly colorful indiepop. All together. Sometimes in the same song. Yeah, this is a delicious little summertime soundtrack.

It opens with a dizzying psychedelic swirl that tightens up into a roar... and suddenly evolves into a tight melody of dramatic violin and guitar. "Breathe in deep/I want you to/That's why the arm came for yoooouuuuu," Nicholas Thorburn sings cheerfully, as he flails through crazy denial about "lifeless carcass in a bad ass car crash/Hopefully you wake up soon..." One part of the song has him yowling "You're mine!" over and over.

And that slightly insane approach carries over into the anthemic rock'n'roll of "Pieces of You" ("They found your bones in the homes of a thousand little gnomes/who've taken pieces for decoration") and the yowling punky "J'aime vous voire quitter," which is one of the few songs on the album that simply does not work. Seriously, it's all hard edges.

Fortunately they get back to their better work after that -- the herky-jerky blasts of "Abominable Snow," riff-heavy rock riddled with wispy organ, delicate guitar ballads, fuzz-edged rockers that melt into twinkly indiepop, stately pianopop that soaks down into a solemn lush melody. It finishes off with an eleven-minute finale rippling with countryish mellotron and sprightly, elaborate epic stretches.

"Arm's Way" might not immediately endear itself to those expecting a direct copy of the Islands' debut -- I was initially disappointed by the heavier, rockier sound. But the Islands don't seem able to keep a supposed straight face throughout any of the songs -- even the punky "J'aime vous voire quitter" eventually devolves into a joyous, bouncy pop melody with lots of wacky lighthearted noises and a vaguely Mexican flavor.

And by the time you've heard it through once or twice, the lighthearted pop under the heavy guitar riffs starts to shine through. They may dabble in darker rock rhythms, but they're still the Islands we know and love.

Those gritty driving riffs and incisive percussion are often the least fascinating part of songs like "Kids Don't Know Sh*t," and so it's a relief when the melodies turn weird, or poppy, or stretch out into wild epics. And the Islands weave in some other instrumentation -- brilliant wibbling keyboard melodies, exotic percussion, shivering tinny distortion, plinking piano, and a tambourine buildup in the gleefully suspenseful "I Feel Evil Creepin' In."

And the violins take a front-row seat in this album, far more so than before. The opening number has lots of over-the-top ELO-style violins, but the rest of the album takes a subtler approach.

One thing that has not changed at all -- the dark weirdness of their lyrics. In his smooth, soft voice, Thorburn sings of dwindling resources, denial about death, a bandmate quitting, and modern living -- all wrapped in a surreal cloak of Hydian nastiness-on-the-inside, seed stories, gnomes, and frozen heads in outer space. All spun in very evocative words ("life is a loose tooth leaving your mouth... and now the ground is coming up my sleeves/pick me up so I can fall back down again/descending into vertigo...").

"Arm's Way" takes some new risks with the Islands' sound. And while a couple songs have too much ordinary guitar rock, the album overall ends up quirky, danceable and enjoyable. Lots of energy, and lots of weird.

pancake_repairman 2008-07-02

2 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

If you're waiting for a hook you'll be waiting a while. It's that horrible kind of major chord/minor chord/major chord/minor chord music that people who think The Beatles are still relevant praise as the best kind of "pop" music while anyone with a more contemporary sensibility is left wondering where the melodies are, why the guitarist can't stick to a key, and why the slack-jawed vocalist doesn't aspire to anything more than one long sustained moan from the albums start to it's finish.

Galvin Devore 2008-06-04

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Before I listened to the album, I read professional reviews online. Critics were actually bashing it! I was left to believe there would be a lack of focus and an unsuccessful energy. Finally after my listen, I completely disagree.

I will not get into much detail, so you should be as surprised as I was. Islands delivers an honest, explosive energy and entertaining arrangements. This album is far from uninteresting!

The focus and dedication is undeniable, they just may not be as playful as the critics were used to. I have no complaints.

J. Brett Dyson 2008-05-27

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Eclectic album that meanders through various genera's to create what feels like a completely solid album. If you look at the play history on my mp3 player, this album completely dominates the list. I cannot stop listening to it and after more than 10 complete listens, I have yet to burn myself out. This album is worth your time and will reward you with new caveats upon every listen. So plug in your headphones, close your eyes, and enjoy the journey that is Arm's Way by the Islands.