Radon Reviews: Islands “A Sleep & A Forgetting”
From the bluesy chords of “This is Not a Song” to the indie-country sounding snare-riding of “Hallways”, A Sleep & A Forgetting by Islands is sometimes a slow foot shuffle of indie rock and sometimes a Happy Days sock hop that has all the pop-like craftsmanship of slow Weezer songs, the cloudy air of The Shins, and just a tiny, tiny pinch of Spandau Ballet. If you want energizing, mood-lifting music, Islands aren’t giving it to you here, but if you believe in the truths found staring out into cold midnight rain, those photos of still life that still feel lifeless, or need something to curl up into a ball and stop thinking to at 3 in the morning, this is an album worth picking up.
This album in a lot of ways makes me feel like it’s a compilation of all the best riffs written in rock history combined into one concept, the intro and verses of “Never Go Solo” are married to the driving power ballad piano chords that define it, even when it gets thick and gurgling with sound. “Can’t Feel My Face” has all the electric organs a fan of Byrds-era psychedelia can ask for while still having that go-go American Bandstand pop background to it. Each song here is like when a song gets one part perfect that gets the entire bar going, then is distilled and bent to fit the needs of its new performance.
A Sleep & A Forgetting’s biggest weakness is also sort of its biggest strength – It’s a little one-note at times, being mostly soft-spoken and melodic, it’s not so easy to relate to without the mood to match. At the same time, each song is different enough that the minor variations keep the album from getting stale at any point, and it becomes a sort of exercise on how to express the same emotions eleven different yet very effective ways. From the doo-wop rock of “No Crying” to twangs and distortion of “Don’t I Love You”. Islands doesn’t so much skip genre as influence, putting together a competent display of musical ability.
