People Who Aren't There Anymore - Future Islands: Review

Review by Lav: 

I've been a Future Islands fan for a long time. The band has crafted a distinct sound in the world of blissful dramatic synth-pop that nobody else can do better. Despite that, they have also developed a reputation for dropping incredible singles that fail to translate into truly great albums. Though I think the band has come close in the past, it still felt like going into their seventh album we still didn't have a definitive release from Future Islands. While People Who Aren't There Anymore may suffer from some long-standing issues with Future Islands records occasionally, it's not THAT far from what a definitive album from the band might sound like. 

In terms of those common Future Islands issues there are some songs here that really just feel like middling imitations of others. Give Me The Ghost Back is the first example. Even though it does try and introduce some wiry guitar into the mix on the bridge it doesn't really do much for me. I feel similarly about the closing track The Garden Wheel which is better but still fails to conjure the most distinctive possible qualities. 

I'm also not crazy about The Thief. My first reaction to the song was that Sam's refrains following the plinky little synth line was a bit corny and it never really stopped feeling that way with repeat listens. The song does have some moments I like but ultimately it's not one of my favorites. The only other deep cut I have any issues with is Iris. Though the build-up it takes is uninspired the song does thankfully reach a pretty spectacular conclusion across the final minute. I love the moment where the refrain switches from asking if we're dying to proclaiming that we aren't. 

This album had six singles released in the lead-up to the project dating all the way back to 2021. Though most of them are great, there are also some I'm not crazy about. The FIght dropped last year and it was the first single I wasn't crazy about. The slow thumping drums and the chorus refrain both sound so awkward and when put together they somehow double down to make each other sound even more awkward. It makes it unfortunately difficult to take the song all that seriously. Say Goodbye has verses that hover in space a bit more than I would like. It makes it sort of hard to build up momentum but somehow the track proves to not even need it. Much like Iris despite an underwhelming build-up, it reaches a spectacular soaring hook. 

I know that's half of the record and it's a lot of complaining so far, but everything else is absolutely spectacular. Future Islands dropped some of their best singles ever in this album cycle. It began with Peach which feels like it came out in an entirely different lifetime but god was I happy to hear it again. The synths are utterly infectious and the hook may be one of the most genuinely adorable songs the band has ever crafted. I feel similarly about King Of Sweden which I've loved for every moment of the past two years it's been out. It has yet another perfect synth line with this watery texture to it and the rush into the chorus is one of the best dramatic moments on the entire album. 

I also loved Deep In The Night which won't blow you away with the same instrumental highs and hooks refrains as the other tracks here. But the sound of the song is just so good that its subtleties won me over in time. It feels like such an earnest song and pays it off on an excellent conclusion with a tangible vulnerability and anguish. I liked The Tower even more and it's probably my favorite of the songs they dropped in the last year or so. Once again it has those irresistible watery synth lines and the moment they're drained out and the snappy drums fill in on the pre-chorus is sheer perfection. 

There are even some huge highlights among the deep cuts. Corner Of My Eye features a wall of sound that isn't often present on Future Islands songs. The layers of sound somehow make the brightest and clearest moments of Sam's vocals and the soaring synth lines reach even higher. This is one of the most dramatic and dynamic vocal performances I've ever heard Sam deliver and it leaves me stunned every time. The Sickness is a track with a languished sway to it that I was also pretty surprised to hear. Even on Future Islands' ballads they often don't allow themselves to be this loose but it's something that suits the song wonderfully. 

People Who Aren't There Anymore is a delightful listen. Even with not every single moment feeling as fresh and lively as possible Future Islands continue to deliver on their promise of bright, catchy, and life-affirming synth-pop. Even continuing in the niche they've grown to occupy so well, the band hones in closer and closer to the core essence of their sound. What results is one of the most solid albums from Future Islands to date. 7/10

For more Future Islands check out my review of As Long As You Are here