Band: Islands
Label: ANTI
Release: 2009

1. “Switched On” – 9.0
2. “No You Don’t” – 8.8
3. “Vapours” – 9.4
4. “Devout” – 8.3
5. “Disarming the Car Bomb” – 8.9
6. “Tender Torture” – 8.5
7. “Shining” – 8.2
8. “On Foreigner” – 8.5
9. “Heartbeat” – 7.9
10. “The Drums” – 7.3
11. “EOL” – 7.6
12. “Everything Is Under Control” – 8.0

Comments: Technically Islands are sell outs because they signed to ANTI-, a sister label of Epitaph, after they released their first album Return to the Sea in 2006 on Equator (the record label of Lovely Feathers). Anyway, I’m not too familiar with Islands besides their song “Rough Gem,” which is truly a gem! The “indie-pop” world has been buzzing over it for the past couple of years. I looked at this album with only that one song in mind. This album screams Vampire Weekend in the sense that there is some extra musical ingredient that turns away mainstream pop listeners YET draws in hordes of so called “indie” listeners. There are a few songs that are a combination of Handsome Furs and Backstreet Boys…the result being something average as fuck. The middle/end of the album contain great examples of the album mentioned.

Grade: 8.4