Review: Islands – Islomania

You might not have even noticed they were gone, but Islands are back and better than ever on Islomania.

When we last saw Islands, it was 2016 and the band had just dropped the albums Should I Remain Here at Sea? and Taste. We haven’t heard much about the band since, and apparently that’s because its frontman, Nick Thorburn, decided to retire the band without telling anyone. As he told Stereogum: “I didn’t want to do a big song and dance like some musicians do when they retire, but I was done.”

Of course, retirements like these rarely stick (see: the Libertines, the Avalanches, Bright Eyes, etc.), and Thorburn was soon back in the studio churning out dozens of new tracks. Furthermore, five years isn’t all that long an absence in the grand scheme of things, so when I heard that Islands were releasing their eighth album Islomania, I didn’t really think twice about it.

Well, you might not even have noticed they were gone, but Islands are back and better than ever on Islomania.

If you’re well-acquainted with Islands, the first thing you’ll notice about Islomania is how much it resembles the band’s very-synthpop third album Vapours. This is more than a coincidence – both albums feature Chris Coady as a producer, while Thorburn himself produced the four albums between them. As a result of Coady’s return, Islomania is brimming with concise, upbeat pop songs. The lead single “(We Like To) Do it With the Lights On” is a prime example – Thorburn “started it with the groove first, and built the melody off the top.” You can hear said disco-inspired bass grove clearly throughout, combined with double-entendre lyrics that have “the kind of playful innuendo that seems to do well in the pop sphere.”

Most of Islomania is equally radio-friendly and danceable. “Never Let You Down” is as straightforward synthpop as “The Weekend” on Taste, bringing its bass and snare beats to the fore. The funk vibes from the saxophone and guitar on “Natural Law Party” sound a lot like !!!, while the horns and sunny feel of “Closed Captioning” remind me of the title track of Vapours. Likewise, it’s natural to think of Daft Punk when you hear the disco beats and vocoded lyrics of “A Passionate Age,” but Thorburn used only slightly less vocal distortion on Vapours’ “Heartbeat.”

Of course, Islands are at their heart a rock band, and the rest of Islomania relies heavily on guitars to make its songs’ hooks flourish. “Carpenter” sounds quite a bit like the Strokes thanks to its 70s vibe, and the closing track “Gore” has a steady riff that provides a good backing as Thorburn shouts “if you believe that verse, I’ve got a bridge to sell you!” at the end. “Set the Fairlight” uses both synthesizer and guitar to create its melody, and its quick tempo gives it a frantic feeling that makes it one of the most compelling tracks on the album. The title track is more of a slow burner, but also shows the band’s dexterity mixing electronic elements with rock (plus some really nonsensical lyrics). “Marble” operates in a similar capacity, and the synthesizer line on its bridge borrows some notes from Islands’ early hit “Rough Gem.”

It’s hard to say anything negative about all of these tracks on Islomania individually, as each are well-written enough to earn the album repeated listens, and are liable to get stuck in your head afterwards. In context, it’s harder to argue that any of this is groundbreaking for the band. Islands did synthpop on both Vapours and Taste, and Should I Remain Here at Sea? was all succinct rock songs. Islomania stands out a bit for being a marriage of these two styles, but its real strength comes from the energy of the individual tracks. Even if Islands don’t kick off a wave of Islomania with this release, you’ll be glad Thorburn’s longest-running project is back.

Rating: 7.5/10