Future Islands
“One Day”
4AD
It’s been more than 12 years since Future Islands went viral for their performance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
It completely changed the trajectory of this Baltimore band that had been together for nearly a decade for their television debut, released a handful of albums and had played hundreds of shows together. Still, getting on TV was absolutely huge. With how much has changed since then, could a band even go viral like this anymore? Future Islands lead singer Samuel T. Herring and his dance moves (alongside that killer guttural growl of his)? The stoic-ness of his band featuring Gerrit Welmers on keyboards and William Cashion on bass?
I’m looking back with Future Islands to look ahead, because it wasn’t just a flash in the pan moment for them. They had staying power before the performance and after.
And, sure, while their sound hasn’t evolved much since those days, it’s been tightened and refined and damn near perfected on their latest single, “One Day,” which is featured on a new double album called “From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth” that brings together live favorites, b-sides and rarities and other oddities.
It’s surprising, however, that “One Day” was considered one of those tracks. It’s Future Islands in full force, doing their hyper-emotional, new wave thing all shaped around Herring’s remarkable voice and vulnerable lyrics. It’s a massive track with a ticky hi-hat that I’m addicted to. You can dance to it, you can brood to it, you can fall in love or break up to it. This thing is versatile and show Future Islands at their best – even after all these years…
