For the past six years, following the break-up of his mega-hyped Unicorns, Nick Thorburn (née Diamonds) has seemingly tried to do everything. From string-laden epics to sophisticated electro-pop to Afro-funk inflected rap/folk, he’s done his best to keep his audience guessing. Through all these sometimes detrimental switch-ups, Islands’ one constant has been Thorburn’s distinctive pop touch. Whether he’s chosen to drench them in New Wave sheen or ill-advised guitar pyrotechnics, his songs have usually found a sweet spot between cheeky experimentalism and smooth, old-school craftsmanship.
That’s why, after nearly a three year wait, it’s such a pleasure to hear Thorburn let his songs take center stage on A Sleep & A Forgetting. “Hallways” shares much in common with Islands’ debut, Return to the Sea, with it’s sloppy, jaunty rhythm, rolling piano and tropical guitar. But unlike much of that album and those that followed, these elements are used purely in service to a lovely, Hawaiian-inspired melody delivered expertly in Thorburn’s signature boyish croon. The lonely lyrics, apparently inspired by a recent messy break-up, are a bit of a departure. Gone are the inside jokes and ironic boasts that fill past Islands tracks. Instead we find the band willing to get serious and convey basic emotion in a simple, universal way. This is a streamlined and inspired effort from a talented artist many feared was going off the rails. Highly recommended.