The noises are fitting, quietly cyclical and gently evocative of a process of ebb-and-flow, of slow—and beautiful—loss. These are the emotions of On the Water, and Future Islands create them with hands that rarely tip to show the careful craft that must have gone into building a stunner like this one.
The songs are thematically and stylistically united with enough variation and nuance within that template to satisfy less patient listeners
Their dreamy, romantic and melancholy music is the perfect accompaniment to hope, the kind that can pull you through, and in a time of timidity, they are true believers
It's the polar opposite of the tension-building repetitions of In Evening Air: With each utterance of this coda, he seems more and more to loosen his grip on the past.
On The Water holds together better as an album, but there’s nothing I’ll play on repeat here, at least not like before. It doesn’t matter too much; they’re still steadily improving on their basic sound.
Rollaround rhythms and forward momentum make this an uplifting anthem, not just a dead piece of 'concept'.
Bruhs, I have decided that this album requires repeat listens, much like the Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds' took me to repeat listens. One exception, though, about the repeat listen to the album thing- I'm much deeper into my musical exposure and am on the verge of actually being (somewhat) knowledgeable of the music I treat my earholios to every glorious day. My score will probably change and rise a few points. The sun is shining, and I need to get a dose of Vitamin D before the rain clouds move ... read more
With its third album, the band from Baltimore reduces the intensity of emotions and acknowledges the importance of empathy which is coming timidly to knock on our human nature.
I preferred the ideas and risks taken on In Evening Air but the songs here and better produced and grander—another fantastic album from the band.
With its third album, the band from Baltimore reduces the intensity of emotions and acknowledges the importance of empathy which is coming timidly to knock on our human nature.
1 | On the Water 4:51 | 80 |
2 | Before the Bridge 3:58 | 95 |
3 | The Great Fire 3:15 | 90 |
4 | Open 1:28 | |
5 | Where I Found You 5:44 | 90 |
6 | Give Us the Wind 4:05 | 90 |
7 | Close to None 6:19 | 85 |
8 | Balance 4:06 | 100 |
9 | Tybee Island 3:16 | 70 |
10 | Grease 5:28 | 95 |
#36 | / | Tiny Mix Tapes |
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