‘Shadows’ by Future Islands (feat. Debbie Harry)

An IndieBeat Song Review

IndieBeat
IndieBeat
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

Review by Enrique Llamas, Director of Playlists & Contributing Partner, originally posted July 13, 2017 on indiebeatmusic.com as part of our Re:Play feature

3 years have passed since I first heard about Future Islands. Like many other people, it was thanks to that intense and passionate first appearance on Letterman that quickly went viral. This guy singing with his heart in his hand, hitting his chest, roaring, dancing with all that he’s got like a modern age gloomy James Brown–it was just inspiring. I remember staring at the screen trying to process what I just saw, then watching again 3 times more. It is no surprise that after that everyone just went and listened to their Singles album, because of course, it had to be good. And it was. The rest is history. And here we are now, 3 years later, a new album.

It was a long way for Sam Herring and Future Islands to become a widely-known band, and even a heavier journey to get to this new album, their sixth. After touring around the world non-stop with the energy that made them famous, this new album feels like a contemplative pause, they have reached the top and now they stand there, staring at the view, wondering what’s next. It seems natural that this album sounds like a quieter, more reserved version of them. But the honesty is still there, and the soulful lyrics are now covered in a delicate sorrow that shines through all the bass lines and sparkling keys.

Among all this we find ‘Shadows’. A song that ironically shines like a gem featuring the voice of Debbie Harry. Maybe it’s a way to pay homage to an era that influenced most of Future Islands’ sound, maybe it was just a lucky guess, we can’t really be sure, but I can say it was a tasteful choice. The dialogue between Debbie Harry and Sam Herring throughout the song is heartbreaking and confirms Herring’s inner struggle to find sense and meaning at this new stage in his life.

The light setting, in the corner of my room
Isn’t enough, but is it for you?
A melody that trails and falls, yet never fully blooms
Plays like an old song
That’s just out of tune

Can’t avoid being moved by these words, as Debbie Harry plays Herring’s most sensate, inner voice, confronting and inviting him to think over things:What to do now that you got what you wanted, are things the way you expected them to be? Are you satisfied or still feeling empty? Is this really what you wanted? Future Islands shows us that even at the top there are still the same doubts, fears and emotions. These are all questions we can relate to.

Fun fact: Debbie Harry recorded her parts in New York, so she never really met the band. They did exchange a few emails though.


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