"THE THIEF" FUTURE ISLANDS (2024)

Last year, Future Islands hit the road to promote their newest studio album release, People Who Aren’t There Anymore. At the New York City show at Radio City Music Hall, the new album clocked in with eight songs on the set list – more than double the amount of songs from the band’s celebrated album Singles. A tell tale sign that the future of Future Islands was looking bright.

I’ll slot the album within my Future Islands top three, claiming the third spot behind Singles and the seminal album On The Water where the band’s sound became more defined and more polished (in the good way). Like those aforementioned albums, People Who Aren’t There Anymore has a healthy balance of upbeat, downbeat and midtempo jams in between, like “The Thief”. Over time, it has become of my favorites from the 2024 album release. “The Thief” unassumingly switches up and down in intensity to give Herring’s vocals just enough emotional space to operate.

Like most Future Islands anthems, the synth arrangements are the key instrumental ingredients, featuring a stealthy, tip-toe entry, an icy riff that jumps into the middle of both the verses and choruses – and a shimmery, echoey finish. It’s the formula that makes Future Islands a band I can keep coming back to. On bass, simple octave jumps seem a little too expected, yet play the perfect accompanying role to Herring’s deceptively simple lyrics.

“BUT IF I SAID TOO MUCH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IT WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME I’VE BEEN TOLD.”

"SEASONS (WAITING ON YOU)" FUTURE ISLANDS (2014)

As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.

How many bands sing and play with all their soul? How many bands put everything they have into the music because it’s all they got and it’s all they live for? Probably not many. Future Islands is one of them. They’re proof that synthesizers still have soul. Proof that you don’t have to act like or look like a rock band to make some noise in this industry. And if you absolutely love what you do, you can make people love it, too. “Seasons” is strangely contagious and utterly ambitious. Hands down, one of the best songs from the last 10 years – and it all starts with the lyrics.

Future Islands’ performance of “Seasons” on the David Letterman show was probably one of the best musical performances on a late night talk show in history. You could feel the passion for the music. And if there’s no passion then really what’s the point? The synth notes glide in and out like they’re pressing buttons on our soul. Meanwhile, I can’t say enough about Samuel Herring’s vocals on this one. There’s just nothing else like it.

“Seasons change, and I tried hard just to soften you. The seasons change, but I've grown tired of tryin' to change for you.”

"LAST CHRISTMAS" FUTURE ISLANDS (2022)

So much of the Christmas season, for me, is all about the music. I have no problems with you if you want to start your Christmas celebrations a little early. After Halloween seems excessive. After Thanksgiving is fair game. Then let’s bring on the real Christmas songs and the fake ones, too. I don’t discriminate. From Dec 16-31, it’s all Christmas music playing on Mental Jukebox.

This is my new, favorite version of the Wham! Christmas classic. This Future Islands remake is like a fresh blanket of snow. Updated for the times, Herring sings a full octave lower than George Michael’s original vocal output. Future Islands pays homage to the holiday song without veering far from the original. The synthesizers shimmer more like LED than fluorescent, but the melody is still the melody and the lyrics and still the lyrics.

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. But the very next day you gave it away. This year, To save me from tears I'll give it to someone special.”

"SEASONS (WAITING ON YOU)" FUTURE ISLANDS (2014)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 18

How many bands sing and play with all their soul? How many bands put everything they have into the music because it’s all they got and it’s all they live for? Probably not many. Future Islands is one of them. They’re proof that synthesizers still have soul. Proof that you don’t have to act like or look like a rock band to make some noise in this industry. And if you absolutely love what you do, you can make people love it, too. “Seasons” is strangely contagious and utterly ambitious. Hands down, one of the best songs from the last 10 years – and it all starts with the lyrics.

“Seasons change, and I tried hard just to soften you. The seasons change, but I've grown tired of tryin' to change for you.”

"SEASONS" FUTURE ISLANDS (2014)

How many bands sing and play with all their soul? How many bands put everything they have into the music because it’s all they got and it’s all they live for? Probably not many. But Future Islands is certainly one of them. They’re proof that synthesizers can still have soul. Proof that you don’t have to act like or look like a rock band to make some noise in this industry. But if you absolutely love what you do, you can make people love it, too. “Seasons” is strangely contagious and utterly ambitious. Hands down, one of the best songs from the last 10 years.

“Seasons change, and I've tried hard just to soften you. The seasons change, but I've grown tired trying to change for you.”