Future Islands – People Who Aren’t There Anymore Review

A decade ago marked the turning point for Future Islands. Gifted with a chance to go around again with the songs and style which has suited them for most of their careers, People Who Aren’t There Anymore may not mark as big a surprise as it should. Initial reactions to this are a chance to relive Singles. Do not look up when that is released, for fear of feeling old and committed to the real world. But Future Islands has, for the last decade at the very least, maintained a standard of work which brings about the rough consistencies of flourishing creatives in avenues where it should not work at all. Their latest record is a testament to this – a neat selection of their new-wave functions. 

Stiff bass work and thuds of synthetic excitement are nothing new to Future Islands though how they manage to keep their consistencies is a real fascination. King of Sweden starts loosely enough and soon sparks the flame in vocalist Samuel T. Herring. His vocal confidence is key and it turns solid works into grand expressions of exploding, retro-tinted synth work. There are flutters of straight pop work from Herring on The Tower but it is kept away from the horrors of the chart-toppers with a fuzz and electronic flavour only the best can kindle for over a decade. Those hardened fans expecting something new from Future Islands may be a tad disappointed, but they brush up against some well-paced renditions of the music which captured attention in the first place.  

Guided by some Morrissey-like vocal work, Herring and the rest of Future Islands craft a record which – as always appears to be the case – is a strong entry point for the band. It marks a concerning lack of variety for the veteran fans. However, their worries should be quelled by the rising gothic powerhouse Give Me The Ghost Back and the instrumentally charged and whining variety on the follow-up Corner of My Eye. Triumphant expectations are filtered through the slow groove and rush of calming tones on The Sickness. Therein lies the difference and constants of Future Islands – their ability to pursue the same charms with different intents and uses. These songs may sound similar to their earlier works but the sundown charms and the twinkling, rising sharpness of their instrumental work is a delight

Whether it is background noise or a triumphant return to form for Future Islands can be decided later. Immediately though, right when those final notes of The Garden Wheel take a bow, the first reaction is to play it all again. Future Islands has found itself indebted to the vagueness which finds honesty and meaning further down the line. But within those broad strokes is still a sense of charm and vigorous pursuit. It is in the best interests of those stuck in bars listening to open microphone nights to stick their headphones on and blast this record. It is how it was meant to be experienced and People Who Aren’t There Anymore, as touching a lament to those who may have passed on to those towers and corners of the mind, does a hell of a job of drowning out a Jolene cover where the name is changed to Maurine.