Escape to the Islands

Islands is the brainchild of Nick Thornburn and Jamie Thompson (formerly of the Unicorns) who write breezy, sunshine-y, psychedelic pop songs, perfect for kicking back, maybe sipping a pina colada or mai tai while grass skirt-clad bikini women dance about you (or not.) They've released 3 albums since forming in 2005, the most recent of which is Vapours, a bouncy, synth-tastic romp filled with lush, poppy melodies that never have to try too hard.

Since Islands apparently never have photo shoots on actual islands,
I've taken the liberty of photoshopping them into this tropical paradise.
You can't even tell the difference, right?

From opener "Switched on" (swirling harmonies, Afro-pop beats) to the very Ted Leo-esque "EOL" (in fact, MUCH of this album reminds me of Ted Leo), the whole thing is totally kick ass -- "Disarming the car bomb" mixes bouncy bass lines with exuberant vocals -- while "No you don't" is just a little dark and funky and might be my favorite song on the whole thing.

Here's a live performance on the title track:

The past couple of years have been tough for Islands, with massive line-up changes, and a sophomore album that Pitchfork called "bloated." But now Islands are back in their place in the sun...making Vapours the perfect album to relive those sunny summer moments.

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