Islands - Vapours

On Islands' third album, Vapours, frontman Nick Thorburn was quoted as saying that he wanted to make a more stripped-down record with less layers, as opposed to 2008's Arm's Way. Succeeding with his vision, Vapours relies on basic synths and drum machines, in addition to guitars and bass and even an electric sitar. Opening track "Switched On" kicks the album off on a bubbly pop note, with excellent lyrical wordplay such as "You belong in the city / Switched on in the city." The following song, "No You Don't," relies on video game sound effects and a guitar solo to achieve a sound that is relatively simple, but still attention-grabbing at the same time. The catchy horn section on the title track achieves this effect as well, in that Islands aren't doing anything new and different, but somehow their music sounds really fresh and exciting. Overall, Vapours is a little more cohesive of an album than Arm's Way, with shorter track lengths and a less anthemic sound. It's also incredibly catchy and fun and deserves to be heard immediately.

DOWNLOAD: Islands - Vapours [ANTI]
Recommended Tracks: "Switched On," "Vapours," "Disarming The Car Bomb," "Tender Torture," "On Foreigner."