Future Islands: the fascinating shapes of Samuel Herring | Electric Picnic

Things only get sunnier with the arrival of Future Islands, whose iridescent synth pop was made for these blue skies. They even play against a silver backdrop, as though discretely topping up their tans. It’s worth squinting through the glare at the fascinating shapes of singer Samuel Herring, a hybrid creation of contradictory parts. Imagine the elastic legs of Mick Jagger grafted onto the durable torso of John Candy, or the declamatory gestures of a home shopping channel salesman over a voice that hops between blue-collar troubadour and the throaty retch of demonic possession. It’s more intriguing, alas, than the musical palette: you’d need a DNA test to decide where one song ends and another begins. Breakthrough album Singles is generously represented, together with benignly welcomed new songs. But everything feels like a prelude to Seasons (Waiting on You). Uncharitably, you suspect they have only one song. But at least it’s a great song.

In Three Words: Waiting on you.

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