Baltimore-based band Future Islands had been touring virtually non-stop, playing relatively small, do-it-yourself gigs before they broke out in spring 2014. Their performance of “Seasons (Waiting on You)” off of the album “Singles” on the Late Show with David Letterman went viral, largely due to their lead-singer Samuel T. Herring’s highly-charged energy and unique dance moves. It is the most viewed debut in the Late Show’s history.
Singles was Future Islands’ first album recorded under the independent record label 4AD. It peaked within the top 10 Alternative Albums on Billboard, with “Seasons (Waiting on You)” named one of the best songs of the year by Pitchfork Media, SPIN and NME, netting them not only critical acclaim but also a much larger fan-base.
The band’s fifth album The Far Field will be released this Friday, April 7. The line “It’s not easy being human” from the track “Through the Roses” perhaps best captures the tone of the lyrical content of The Far Field and also captures much of the band’s previous work. The inherent difficulty in communicating with one another and the often all-too-relatable heartbreak in its wake is at the center of Future Islands’ best album yet.
The ruins of a relationship prove to be great material for the band to mine for rich, metaphor-driven lyrics. Sonically, the use of bright synths and a variety of different tempos creates an interesting contrast and adds to their almost New-Wave sound.
If you’re wondering how connected the band is to the local music scene, in a New York Times profile published Tuesday, they mentioned Romantic States, Permanent Waves, Butch Dawson, Elon and Ed Schrader’s Music Beat as just a few of the local Baltimore acts that they enjoy. The band is celebrating the release of The Far Field with sold-out shows at The Ottobar this Friday through Monday before heading out on tour throughout the United States.
