Future islands
People who are no longer there
4 AD
January 26, 2024
Web Exclusive
For what is essentially a synth-pop band, Future Islands certainly packs some wild and cathartic vibes, thanks to highly expressive frontman Samuel T. Herring. His power and appeal is largely due to his impressive ability to, night after night, tear his heart out on stage, literally shed a few tears and become vulnerable.
But in 2020 As long as you are it was impressive because it was the band's happiest album — Herring, newly in love, heals instead of chasing pain. Ascension felt like a revolution, a shot in the arm for Future Islands to start exploring new nuances. Well, thanks in part to a pandemic-enforced separation, Herring is now free once again, with new dimensions of heartbreak pouring into the archive—only this time, he's doing it as a seasoned expert. As a result, People who are no longer there it feels like a new kind of Future Islands record, wanting to balance pain and joy, gratitude and sadness, showing how both sides of the coin are necessary for a full life.
acoustics, People who are no longer there manages the difficult task of combining all the styles of the band's past into one career-spanning album. Featuring fiery synth-punk ragers (“Give Me the Ghost Back” sounds more Depeche Mode than anything Future Islands have ever done) Singles-Esque off-kilter pop (“Say Goodbye”, “The Thief”) and some light, fizzy songs that sound somewhat adventurous and effortless (“The Tower”, “Peach”). Nothing here is necessarily a huge creative leap forward, but instead all see the quartet digging deep into their wheelhouse. It's easily the most confident they've ever heard. And that confidence plays out again in the emotional lessons that litter the lyric sheet, like on “Corner of My Eye”: “So I'll thank you / 'Cause I can't get you or make you / I just gotta move on.” This feels like the kind of acceptance and letting go that can take 15 years and seven albums to achieve, and it's wonderfully moving to hear throughout this album.
People who are no longer there unlikely to attract a host of new Future Islands fans, but it's a treat for those who've followed the band since Herring got a move Letterman almost a decade ago. It shows that Herring and company know exactly who they are and what they're capable of, and that makes this a quietly exciting and enjoyable chapter of a band that are clearly in it for the long haul. (www.future-islands.com)
Author Rating: 8/10
from our partners at http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/people_who_arent_there_anymore_future_islands