Indie Rock, Indie Pop
 |
| Ski Mask: Island's 5th album |
In Ski Mask, the
Canadian indie rock band Islands gives insight into the thoughts and feelings
of heartbreak through inventive snare compositions and expressive lyrics.
Wonderful soft,
chill vocals to share sorrowful lyrics that sound like heartbreak poems in a
well compiled short book. The clarity of the vocals make it easy to sing along
and focus on the meaning of the song which is stressed by the instrumentation.
 |
| Members: Evan Gordon, Nick Thornburn, Geordie Gordon |
The marimba in the first song is used to simulate island music, as suggested by the band name. BUT the album
consists primarily of reverb guitar sounds and creative snare rhythms. Based on
the major accompaniment of the piano, the instrument was probably the foundation
for the composition process. The snare
parts are what make Islands's music unique.
The whole album
sounds as if it was recorded in a large hall since there's a lot of hollow/echo
sound from the guitar and the vocals. As a listener, perhaps we're supposed to
feel alone stranded on an island while hearing your voice echo poetic lines and
reassessing your breakup.
Assumed
Genre
|
Indie Rock, Indie
Pop
|
Album
|
Ski Mask
|
Label
|
Manque
|
Source
|
Flyer
|
Spotify
Link
|
Vocals
and Guitars
|
Nick Thornburn
aka
Nick Diamonds
|
Keyboards/Guitar
|
Geordie Gordon
|
Bass
|
Evan Gordon
|
Keyboards/Guitar
|
Luc Laurent
|
Track favorites and highlights:
- Wave Forms" - Sense of rebirth.
- "Death Drive" - Hip. Strategically placed dissonant piano chords.
- "Becoming the Gunship" - Pronounced snare action.
- "Nil" - The most cheery song in the album rhythm wise. Lyrics contrast the instruments and give the song an ironic mood.
- "Sad Middle" - "lalalala…" More snare action!
- "Hushed Tones" - 80's tone.
- "Here Here" - Soft, slow, clean guitar. Sustained syllables in lyrics. Very mellow.
- "Shotgun Vision" - Sluggish. Almost crawling, still walking.
- "Of Corpse" - Crescendo into high emotions.
- "We'll Do It So You Don't Have To" - Interesting moods progression from ponderous to certainty.
- "Winged Beat Drums" - Vivid imagery.