I nearly loved the Unicorns’ ‘Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone’ but an overused slab of piercing organ ruined it for me. Now that that band has subsided ex-Unicorns Nicholas Thorburn and Jamie Thompson have reconvened to form Islands. Their debut has just been released and includes bit parts by fellow Canadians the Arcade Fire. The Unicorns sense of whimsy has been side stepped a tad and although the roots are awash with giddy melody ‘Return To The Sea’ has the maturity to become a classic. The album sweeps from cute archetypal indie tune to wispy instrumental at will, even stopping off at one stage to comment on all that avian flu fearmongering. A good example of the dinky tunes on offer is the lavishly angled ‘Tsuxiit’ which may take some time to win you over such is its awkward directions. Sounding like a close relative to a cute furry Mogwai it scuttles about with gay abandon but denys all attempts to dance to it. This is the tonic for those who want to ditch the prosaic for something more addictive. One other thing, is the cover art taken from Superman: The Movie? KD
Islands – Tsuxiit
More Info: Islands
Buy Album: [UK] Return to the Sea
Year: 2006
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