NewIslands - Shivers

A second and very short post today to draw to your attention a new song from the Breaking More Waves regulars NewIslands. NewIslands are seemingly an impossible band to pin down. When we first featured their music their sound was big epic synth pop, then with Paradise they gave us a something influenced by mid 80’s stadium rock. Now with Shivers NewIslands throw in wobbly bass lines normally found on a dubstep record and combine it with an organ and synth ballad. Confused ? We are, but only by the variety of the bands material, not the flying majesty of their songs. Shivers, with its escape to the future lyrics and gentle pop warmth deserves your ears. Wrap them round the song now.

Shivers mp3 by NEWISLANDS

NewIslands - Paradise

Back in March we became gushingly excited about the band NewIslands and an incredible track called Out Of Time. Since then it’s been relatively quiet in the waters surrounding NewIslands, but now waves are building. First there was the announcement that the band have secured a slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at this years Glastonbury Festival, and now NewIslands have revealed a new song. It’s called Paradise and excuse us whilst we explode with excitement again, but it’s as good, if not better than Out Of Time.

We called Out Of Time A.M.A.Z.I.N.G and so now we’re struggling for words, but we’ll start with masterly, gargantuan, epic and dramatically superlative. With Paradise NewIslands have dropped the pulsating electronic sound and instead created a lofty dark soundscape out of echoing funeral drums and turbulent slathering rock guitars. It starts with a gentle caress before writhing, wriggling and stabbing you in the heart with some dangerously high voltage power. Previously we referenced Hurts and this reference remains but only in terms of the way the song is structured, in terms of sonic similarities this time we hear Echo & The Bunnymen and possibly even the mid 80’s clarion call of U2.

NewIslands are rapidly becoming one of our favourite bands. Listen to them and they may become one of yours as well. Let's go on a journey to Paradise.

Phew, we’re going for a lay down in a dark room to take some deep calming breaths. Inspirational.

NewIslands Paradise 14062010 by NewIslands-Explore

NewIslands - Out Of Time

Just when the whole synthtopia genre appears to be setting off down cliche street, someone grabs the map and pushes us down another alley. NewIslands are a Midlands band whom with their track Out Of Time have produced an alluringly giant piece of pulsing keyboard pop. Now pop is an over used word right now, NewIslands themselves have admitted this stating in their blog that it's "Like saying I love you to someone you've been seeing for three months - the honeymoon period - it's over!" Yet when the pop is good the pop is good, and to deny it is churlish. Out Of Time joins the dots between the sugar-camp of The Sound of Arrows and the more dignified and anthemic song structures of Hurts. The vocals of singer David Jones in particular share a similar resemblance to those of one Theo Hutchcraft, but with a slightly more muscular edge. We’ve already filed this one in our not often opened top drawer labelled ‘Giant lush synth tunes’.

The song has had support from Breaking More Waves favourite DJ Rob Da Bank of Radio 1, and comes complete with remixes by two other acts that we’ve blogged over the last few months - Active Child and Is Tropical - so it’s a kind of remixed new act heaven. Our opinion ? Out Of Time by NewIslands is a truly exhilarating piece of pop music. But let's not call it pop music, let's call it POP music. Amazing.

No.

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

Out Of Time is released as a single tomorrow.