Usually when I’m angry and someone tells me to calm down my fizzing turns into an aggressive boil. However, I See Island’s track ‘Calm Down’ on their new album does indeed chill me out. From the gentle, wordless opening vocals to the melody that bounces up and down throughout, the track typifies the rest of the album.
The collection recalls the feeling of sitting on a beach with nothing to do but watch and listen to the waves. Other highlights include ‘In Our Place’ (a smidge bouncier than the rest and pushes you to jump into the sea), ‘I’ll Just Party’ (reminds you that swimming in the cold is worth it for the resulting soul renewal), and ‘A Million Miles’ (envelops you in a towel as you shiver after a swim).
I’m probably not the first and won’t be the last to compare the vocals and vibe to that of Bon Iver with a Scottish twist. The album was recorded with Triassic Tusk Records, who are based in St. Monans in the East Neuk of Fife and, like a whisky barrel kept on an island, the sea seeps through into the lovingly-prepared product.
Within a Light Beam is out now on Triassic Tusk
