Pay attention everybody, because this Is the story of the letdown of the year. The tale of a band that had all the hype two years ago (the Unicorns) who abruptly parted ways just as word was beginning to spread of their amazing live shows and their popularity was forming a huge wave that suddenly crashed down leaving a mere puddle of hype around Americas ankles.
But then hope sprang up almost immediately that the drummer and one of the main creative forces from the Unicorns had formed a new band called Islands, and the hype was reborn. Added to this premature hub-bub was talk that the Islands debut release would host a myriad of indie rock heroes, from members of the Arcade Fire to Joanna Newsome.
So here it is, “Return to the Sea” sits in my cd player for the 25th time, just waiting to wow me, and I still hate this record. Maybe it was the pressure of producing something great on the heels of the only Unicorns full length, maybe that slight amount of fame went to the heads of these fellows, or maybe the Unicorns Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone was just a fluke, a lucky combination of the right place at the right time.
What you wind up getting with Islands is more quirky, silly pop, but without the sense of cohesion that the Unicorns carried this same banner with. Islands are more elaborate certainly, but what it winds up sounding like is a major Broadway musical based on the Unicorns underground phenomena. It’s campy, hokey, silly and blustery but in all the wrong ways. If this is the best that 2/3 of the Unicorns can come up with, then sadly the question to Who WIll Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone is…no one.
Chris Smith
Islands (Equator Music)