Once upon a time there was a sympathetic, hardworking synth-pop band from Baltimore. Since their inception in 2006 they had already released three CDs. While 2010's In Evening Air was particularly good, they went virtually unnoticed. Until one fine day in March 2014 they were allowed to play their new single Seasons in David Letterman's The Late Show. The performance hit like a bomb. Young viewers
… in particular had never seen anything like it. Frontman Samuel T. Herring moved across the stage like a gorilla, dancing wildly, tugging at his shirt and grunting like a metal singer. The video was the breakthrough of Future Islands. Well deserved, because of the album contained many more beautiful things. They spared no time (three years) or effort for the follow-up: a well-known producer (John Congleton), a string section, a major guest singer ( ). The swinging bass lines of William Cashion and atmospheric key parts of Gerrit Welmers were also there. They had forgotten only one thing: strong, haunting songs. To put it in fairytale terms, The Far Field is like the Emperor's new clothes. (RME)more
