Never doubt an extra release. People Who Aren’t There Anymore was an exceptional stroke of good fortune for Future Islands. They provided not just a consistent continuation of their familiar sound but shifted gear, ever so slightly, into a deeper territory. Heartfelt pieces like King of Sweden were a tender surprise. But this is something else. Glimpse is the gallows-based dark side of what People Who Aren’t There Anymore shied away from. They do have it in them, Future Islands, to deal in the macabre despite the joy-filled electronics. This is the deeper step they should have, could have, even, taken on People Who Aren’t There Anymore. But there is no point in focusing on what is not. Glimpse is as its title suggests. A peek into what could have been and what still may be for the band.
Regret pours through Glimpse. It is the pride and joy of frontman Samuel T. Herring for this extra release. A standalone single which did not quite fit the style heard on the album, but was too good not to release. Thankfully they do, and it extends a fine run of form, unlocking that next step Future Islands were desperately chasing. This is a darker song, one unexpected but thoroughly welcome trip through grief and how we react to lost memories. Some unusual turns are taken, and it makes Glimpse all the stronger. Those notes of forgotten thoughts are not punchy moments of relief but regret for not keeping hold of the finer memories, the better experiences worth clinging to. Those are the moments which keep us, or in this case Herring, from a desire for the gallows.
Glimpse is heavier than any other Future Islands piece yet maintains the consistent conviction they have to evolving their sound. Some staggering bits of instrumental work are found within and, while inevitably similar to the tones heard in their discography, the darker lyrical parts make the difference. Grieving is the core – a bold end to a track where the wait, the hope, kills them. Instrumentally similar but still slick, still mysterious in those opening bars. A neat way to feed the evolution of horrors found later on. Herring is a magnificent performer; a man whose conviction carries the material in most moments. Glimpse is a song of realisation, of making peace with the past. The fear and hurt are still there, but Herring searches for positivity.
Those attempts at light in a dark spot can be futile and Glimpse feels rather realistic in that unfortunate, thump of an end. Surprisingly beautiful stuff from Future Islands. Not because they cannot mould this sort of material in their favour but because there were only a few hints of this on People Who Aren’t There Anymore. A fortunate turn for the better from Future Islands here, who kick on with an ambitious step away from their upbeat consistencies. It remains somewhat in the instrumentals but here is a tender punch, a personalised powerhouse from Herring and the band. It banks on some lengthy instrumental builds, subverting those lighter pop expectations exceptionally well.
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