Islands

Arm's Way finds Islands setting sail distinctly away from the indie-yelping that characterized their debut, Return to the Sea. The Montreal band spends most of their sophomore effort shifting gears between various styles, opening up with a string of songs featuring spaghetti western guitars and ominous lyrics.

In the middle of the album, though, Islands turn to blissful ‘80s pop for inspiration, and in channeling The Cure and The Cars, they really hit their stride. "Kids Don't Know Shit" and "Life in Jail" are two of the album's best, and the latter features a classic Nick T. lyrical non-sequitur: "If you want to be a shark / you better learn to stay awake." Though Arm's Way is a resounding success when it's joyful, the album hits a high note with a darker song (in name and melody). "I Feel Evil Creeping In" is a slow, haunting expression of diary-only darkness, including the confession, "My blood is dirty / and I like it."

Islands sound like a band who are willing to try everything to find their sound, and they fit a lot of experimentation into Arm's Way. The album starts slowly, but there are some true gems packed towards the album's conclusion that prove to be well worth the patience.



—Nathan Atnikov
05.14.08