Salemspider Ebay Page        

 

Islands

Return To The Sea

Out of print Limited Edition Canadian 2LP set released on Equator Records in 2006. Pressed on White Vinyl and comes in a gatefold sleeve. Limited to 500 copies.

On their debut record, Return to the Sea, Montreal's Islands have crafted a  rich, exciting, and emotionally deep sounding album that carries on the  freewheeling spirit and sound of the Unicorns as well as that of the Elephant 6  bands of the late '90s. You see, Islands singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer  Nick Diamonds and drummer Jaime were members of the Unicorns and they have taken  the strengths of that band, amplified and adjusted them, added a few more vital  ingredients, and come up with a disc that satisfies on a variety of levels and  rates among the best indie rock around. The Unicorns were a lo-fi, experimental  car crash of a band, equal parts whimsy and exuberance; Islands are a much more  adult and measured experience with a much cleaner sound and more classic  arrangements (lots of strings, accordions, standup bass, and pianos to go with  the cheap synthesizers). Diamonds' voice is much less whimsical; he has scaled  back on the Coyne meter from nine to around five and now conveys his slightly  off-kilter lyrics with more emotion and honesty. Despite the changes, the group  hasn't lost any of the sunshine-addled spark that the Unicorns had, as songs  like the whirling "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" or "Jogging Gorgeous Summer"  (which comes kitted out with steel drums and recorder!) clearly demonstrate. The  trippy "Volcanoes" (nice rock snob reference to the Troggs tapes in the lyrics),  the indie psych/hip-hop mash-up featuring the rhyme skills of Subtitle and  Busdriver, or the epic-length psychedelic singalong that opens the record so  nicely ("Swans [Life After Death]") show that the band hasn't lost their  ambition, either. "Ones" itself has more big-hearted ambition and dramatic power  than most bands could dream of unleashing. The lovely instrumental "Tsuxiit" or  the sweetly pop-rocking "Rough Gem" sound like the work of another band  entirely, and indeed all of these comparisons to the Unicorns are ultimately  irrelevant. It's not like you have to be a fan of that band to fall in love with  this one. All you need is a love of melodies and innocent indie pop weirdness,  two things this album has plenty of.

Track Listing

Side One

1 Swans (Life After Death) 9:30
2 Humans 4:58

Side Two

1 Rough Gem 3:36
2 Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby 2:29
3 Tsuxiit 3:03

Side Three

1 Where There's A Will There's A  Whalebone 3:54
2 Jogging Gorgeous Summer 2:43
3 Volcanoes 5:24

Side Four

1 If 4:30
2 Ones 5:24
3 (Untitled)

 

Released on Equator Records in 2006

Catalogue Number EQR0001

Record is in Ex ++ condition

Sleeve is in Near Mint condition

 

 ***All Items must be paid for within 7 days***