On The Water

Future Islands - On The Water
Critic Score
Based on 19 reviews
2011 Ratings: #135 / 1031
User Score
Based on 120 ratings
2011 Rank: #234
Liked by 5 people
October 11, 2011 / Release Date
LP / Format
Thrill Jockey / Label
Synthpop / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Tiny Mix Tapes
It’s either an existential dilemma or a celebration of cosmic circularity, and by implicating themselves in the dilemma, Future Islands have landed on terra incognita, and it’s an exciting discovery.
90
PopMatters

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.

80
Drowned in Sound

The songs are thematically and stylistically united with enough variation and nuance within that template to satisfy less patient listeners

80
Consequence of Sound

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

77
Pitchfork

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.

70
No Ripcord

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.

daFigz
70

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

tha138
72

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.

Raiksheen
70

It’s ok

Raiksheen
70

It’s ok

Seb_Harris
80

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.

tha138
72

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.

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Track List

1On the Water
4:51
80
2Before the Bridge
3:58
95
3The Great Fire
3:15
90
4Open
1:28
5Where I Found You
5:44
90
6Give Us the Wind
4:05
90
7Close to None
6:19
85
8Balance
4:06
100
9Tybee Island
3:16
70
10Grease
5:28
95
Total Length: 42 minutes

Year End Lists

#36/Tiny Mix Tapes
/Glide
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Added on: July 19, 2011