Checking in with Islands

February 13, 2008 7:41 p.m. by Eli Halpern

Land, ho! A veritable archipelago of news items and tantalizing tidbits has broken off from the Islands camp in the past few weeks. We found out that their sophomore album, Arm's Way, is due to drop May 20. There was also that first glance at the album in the sweeping gesture of a track called "The Arm." This past week its been revealed that Islands have signed to Anti- Records, recent acquirers of Man Man and home to acts like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Neko Case.

And let's not forget about the host of short interviews and statements that have flown from the mincing mouth of Nick Thorburn. If we may distill something from his playful hints and hyperbolic descriptions, it's that the new record will be a big one. One gets the feeling of a sort of physical catharsis from Thorburn's descriptions of "plunging your face into the river," of redemptive arms and sobriety. If we can trust the tight but epic promise of "The Arm," such a description might not lie far afield.

In a recent interview, our favorite castaway told Pitchfork that he has exercised complete control over the record and that there's "no room for improvisation." Islands seem to have tightened their screws while laying out the blueprint for a more towering sound. Thorburn sees Return to Sea as a sort of fetal development to the fully fledged spawn of Arm's Way. Accordingly, his new baby has "really minimal overdubbing. . . really what we put to tape is what we would do in our rehearsal space. It's pretty much a representation, a document of what the band is."

In more Thorburn news, hip-hop outfit Th' Corn Gangg (including former Unicorns/Islands drummer Tambeur and a host of rappers) has been working on a debut album loosely slated for completion late this year.

Finally, let's not forget Islands's North American and European tours. Try to collect them all:

02.13 Montreal, Quebec: Drawn and Quarterly

02.16 Montreal, Quebec: Club Lambi

02.18 Dublin, Ireland: Whelan's

02.19 Belfast, Ireland: Speakeasy

02.20 Manchester, England: Night & Day

02.21 Bristol, England: Thekla

02.23 Nottingham, England: Liar's Club @ Stealth

02.24 Brighton, England: Brighton Barfly

02.25 Cambridge, England: Cambridge Barfly

02.26 London, England: Hoxton Bar & Grill

02.27 Paris, France: Point FMR