Concert review: Islands at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio in Denton (October 28)

by Laurel Johnston of My Denton Music

I didn't expect many Dentonites to know about Islands, much less attend a concert at Rubber Gloves on a Wednesday night. When I got to the club, the line was out the door. By the time I got inside and paid the measly $10 cover, the place was more packed than I had ever seen it. I struggled to the front of the stage, squeezing between colorfully-clad scenesters who looked too young to be out so late.

The band members set up slowly, wearing regular clothing and looking very ordinary. When the lights finally dimmed, the band (sans lead singer) exploded from backstage to a roar of applause. Now dressed in all white, each member stood out starkly against the shiny black curtains draping the walls. The lead singer came out last, wrapped in an iridescent gold cape so covered in sequins that an Elvis impersonator would seem positively drab by comparison. He wore plastic rimless sunglasses for the first part of the show, removing them with the cape when he jumped off the stage and walked through the audience.

Everyone at the front of the stage sang along, fervently dancing and jumping to the beat. The lead singer smiled as cell phone cameras snapped photos, and he even ribbed the crowd for shouting out requests for some of the Unicorns' tunes.

The show was a complete success, with the crowd only getting rowdier as the night progressed. The Islands deserve their success not only because they are talented, but because of the kind of connection that they create with their fans. They transmit their passion for music and life in general to everyone in the audience, as well as representing the cultural shift from intolerance of anyone different to the all-encompassing embrace of everyone, different or not. No man is an island, but Islands are forever.

More about Islands:

The first time I heard Islands, I didn't know what to think. I wasn't sure if I liked them, but for some reason I couldn't get their songs out of my head. They sound like a collaboration between the Beatles and David Bowie, if they had recorded an album while being marooned on a desert island. This is a band that would be perfect at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, or perhaps as an opener for the Flaming Lips or Of Montreal.

Their 2006 debut album Return to the Sea was mixed in band member Jamie Thompson's bedroom, lending to the album's raw sound. It's an album full of pretty melodies, poppy drum sounds, and rollicking piano riffs. There's a definite calypso edge, brightened by synth accents and a drum machine. The Islands' ethereal lyrics wax and wane between the lightheartedness of young love and the darkness of a broken heart, making them accessible to almost anyone.

Return to the Sea also included guest artists from Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade, heavy hitters in the Canadian indie music scene. Since then, the Islands have gotten progressively more progressive, including more synth, drum machine, and heavy programmed beats. Their 2007 album Arm's Way is on heavy rotation on most indie Pandora stations, along with their 2009 album Vapours.

While the band is a constantly rotating cast of characters, the two permanent members are Jamie Thompson (drums) and Nick Thorburn (lead vocals). Additional members switch between synth, bass, guitar, and backup vocals. Thorburn is formerly of The Unicorns, whose 2003 album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? was a huge hit in the indie music scene.