Arm's Way
| Arm's Way | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Islands | ||||
| Released | May 20, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Indie | |||
| Length | 68:06 | |||
| Label | ANTI-[1] | |||
| Producer | Ryan Hadlock and Islands | |||
| Islands chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Drowned in Sound | (9/10)[3] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.2/10)[4] |
| PopMatters | (6/10)[5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
| Spin | [7] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [8] |
Arm's Way is the second studio album by Montreal-based Indie rock band, Islands. It was released on May 20, 2008 on CD and download. The album's title is a play on the words "harm's way". The album leaked online on April 11, 2008.[9]
Concept and Production
Drummer Aaron Harris outlined the album's concept and the band's songwriting approach thus:
We took a different approach with this album in that the music is focused on the band members - there are not any special appearances. Arm's was conceived in Montreal, we wrote the songs in a room with old NOFX and Insane Clown Posse posters on the wall. As a band we put the music together and then singer Nick Thorburn wrote the lyrics.[10]
Music
The musical style of Arm's Way represents a departure from the Graceland-inspired sound of debut album Return to the Sea. Rebecca Raber of Pitchfork writes, "Gone are the guest rappers, the acoustic nuevo-country twang, and the sunny Afro-Caribbean flourishes ... In their place are theatrical string arrangements, layers of silvery, minor-key guitars, and lots of gothy synthesizers."[4] Most lyrics include references to death and violence, themes which are shared with frontman Nick Thorburn's previous project The Unicorns.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Arm" | 5:38 |
| 2. | "Pieces of You" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "J'aime vous voir quitter" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Abominable Snow" | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Creeper" | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Kids Don't Know Shit" | 5:11 |
| 7. | "Life in Jail" | 5:27 |
| 8. | "In the Rushes" ((contains a portion of "A Quick One While He's Away" by The Who)) | 7:00 |
| 9. | "We Swim" | 5:06 |
| 10. | "To a Bond" | 7:47 |
| 11. | "I Feel Evil Creeping In" | 5:31 |
| 12. | "Vertigo (If It's a Crime)" | 11:01 |
The full album is streaming on the band's MySpace page.[11]
Credits
Produced by Ryan Hadlock and Islands
Engineered by Ryan Hadlock
Assistant Engineering by Mathieu Roberge
Mixed by Rob Schnapf and Doug Boehm
Mix Engineer Assistant: Chris Constable
Mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone
Songs written by Nick Thorburn
Music arranged by Islands
Drum programming on track 5 by Corn Gangg
Recorded at Mixart in Montreal & Bear Creek in Woodinville, April & May 2007
Mixed at Sonora in LA, September & October 2007
Mastered at Sterling Sound in New York, December 2007
Artwork by Rebecca Bird
Photography by Alexander Wagner
Layout and Title Design by Philip Laslett
References
- ↑ Islands sign to ANTI-Records Archived February 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine., article on Pitchfork Media's website
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Drowned in Sound review Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- 1 2 Pitchfork Media review Archived May 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ PopMatters review
- ↑ Rolling Stone review
- 1 2 Spin review
- ↑ Tiny Mix Tapes review Archived May 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Arm's Way leak thread, on The Secret Unicorns Forum
- ↑ "Islands Interview". FMLY.
- ↑ myspace.com/islandsareforever, Islands MySpace page