The latest in news from the cultural universe
Just For Culture
  • Home
  • Art & Literature
  • Music
  • Day & Nightlife
  • Film & TV
  • About Us & Contact

Live Review: Future Islands - The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 14 June 2018

19/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
"We last played Edinburgh in 2009 to about 20 people" exclaims Future Islands frontman Sam Herring to a packed out Usher Hall. An hour or so later, and it's clear to see how the Baltimore band have amassed such a devoted fan base in such a short period of time.

Herring commands the stage authoritatively, with an air not unlike your old friend from school's charming yet unnervingly eccentric dad. His performance is one of crystalline vocals contrasted with feral grunts, nimble dance moves performed with increasing alacrity, and engaging chat always tinged with a disarming graciousness and humility.

His disproportionately fleet-footed adventures around the stage include a cossack dance, a more than passable impression of Shakira, and what can only be described as a waterless slip 'n' slide. These exuberant moves are at odds with the totemic figures of Gerrit Welmers and William Cashion, who provide a beautifully layered soundscape onto which Herring paints his lyrical pictures.

​Touring drummer Michael Lowry provides a potent yet restrained drive to proceedings with his efficient beats.

Early highlight 'A Dream of You and Me' is preceded by a slight setlist miscommunication, as Sam introduces it, yet quickly retracts this apologetically and the band launch into another robust synthpop gem, 'Ran'.

This track along with several others from the band's stellar 2017 album The Far Field form the spine of the show, and provide pomp in spades. This alternates with more meditative tracks from their catalogue peppered throughout, although the pace builds with gradual and definite intention.
This momentum gathers until the predictable yet euphoric 'Seasons (Waiting on You)' leaves the until-then well anchored crowd awash in electronic-pop bliss. This proves to be the first jab in a three-punch climax, with 'Tin Man' and 'Spirit' leaving the crowd with a feeling of exhilarated satisfaction. The follow-up of 'A Song for our Grandfathers' proves an unexpectedly welcome respite with its driving yet dreamy down-tempo groove.

This paves the way for a break which stretches just into the lengths of discomfort, with the less patient crowd members beginning to make their feelings known with some tentative booing just before the band arrive back onstage.


The band's extended encore is beautiful yet inconsistent, with both 'Inch of Dust' and 'Beach Foam' providing the synthpop equivalent of a funeral march in the least lachrymose sense possible. These tracks sandwich the New Order-channelling 'Vireo's Eye', which gives an unbalanced feeling to proceedings. Finale 'Little Dreamer' is pensive and stirring, even if it doesn't quite instil the feeling of catharsis the band might have envisioned. Still, the authenticity of their gratitude before they exit stage is palpable and results in a warm and affectionate send-off from the audience. We certainly couldn't help but smile on the way out the doors and beyond.

Sam told us at the outset, "this is gonna be awesome". Future Islands feel like a band who always strive for that zen-like height, even if they don't quite obtain it consistently.

4/5

Colin Farrell
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Music

    Bringing you the latest music news, features and opinions from the JFC mind

    Archives

    May 2021
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    June 2013

    Categories

    All
    2013
    2014
    2015
    Abandon Ship
    Aberdeen
    Album
    Alex Metric
    Alternative
    Austin Carlile
    Band
    Becky Hill
    Beyonce
    Biffy
    Biffy Clyro
    Blackened Sky
    Blog
    Bono
    Broken Social Scene
    Calvin Harris
    Camden
    Charlie Simpson
    Chart
    Chris Martin
    CHVRCHES
    Clyro
    Coldplay
    Dance
    Dangermouse
    D&B
    Deadmau5
    Decade
    Drum And Bass
    Dublin
    EDM
    Ella Eyre
    Exclusive
    Festival
    Full Crate
    Gecko
    Genre
    Ghost Stories
    Giorgio Moroder
    Girl Friend
    Glasgow
    God Level
    Gorgon City
    Gwyneth Paltrow
    Handguns
    Heart To Heart
    Hit The Lights
    House
    Hudson Mohawke
    If I Go
    Indie
    Infinity Land
    Innovative
    Interview
    In The Lonely Hour
    Ireland
    ITunes
    Jesse Glynne
    Jess Glynne
    JproD
    Jurassic 5
    Kanye-west
    Kilmainham
    Kings
    King-tuts
    King-tuts020c7650de
    Knife Party
    Latest
    Liquid Room
    Little Matador
    Little Mix
    Live
    Live Review
    Living Without You
    London
    McBusted
    Mentirosa
    Metric
    MK
    Monarchy
    Money On My Mind
    Motion
    Music
    Myspace
    Neck Deep
    New
    New Music
    News
    New Wave
    Of Mice & Men
    Oliver $
    Oliver Heldens
    Online
    Only Revelations
    OPM
    Opposites
    Overdrive
    Paloma Faith
    Paul Epworth
    PAWS
    Pendulum
    Pop
    Pop Punk
    Pop-Punk
    Punk-Rock
    Puzzle
    Rating
    Reasons
    Remi
    Remix
    Review
    Ric Ocasek
    Rivers Cuomo
    Rob Swire
    Rock
    Royal Hospital
    Rudimental
    Ryan Tedder
    Sam Smith
    Scotland
    Scottish
    Simon Neil
    Single
    Singles
    Slam Dunk
    Sleep Deprived
    Social Network
    Songs Of Innocence
    Soul
    Synthpop
    Technology
    The 1975
    The Pierces
    The Story So Far
    The Xcerts
    Tour
    Twin Atlantic
    U2
    Video
    Wah Wah Hut
    We Are The In Crowd
    Website
    Weezer
    Xcerts
    Yeezus
    Youth Culture Forever

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.