Arm's Way
2008 studio album by Islands
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Arm's Way is the second studio album by Montreal-based indie rock band Islands. It was released on May 20, 2008,[1] on CD and download. The album's title is a play on the words "harm's way". The album leaked online on April 11, 2008.[10]
| Arm's Way | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 20, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | April–May 2007[1] | |||
| Studio | Bear Creek, Woodinville, WA, and Mixart, Montreal, Canada[1] | |||
| Genre | Indie | |||
| Length | 68:06 | |||
| Label | ANTI-[2] | |||
| Producer | Ryan Hadlock and Islands | |||
| Islands chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 71/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Drowned in Sound | 9/10[4] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.2/10[5] |
| PopMatters | 6/10[6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Spin | [8] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [9] |
Concept and production
Drummer Aaron Harris outlined the album's concept and the band's songwriting approach thus:
We took a different approach with this album in that the music is focused on the band members – there are not any special appearances. Arm's was conceived in Montreal, we wrote the songs in a room with old NOFX and Insane Clown Posse posters on the wall. As a band we put the music together and then singer Nick Thorburn wrote the lyrics.[11]
Music
The musical style of Arm's Way represents a departure from the Graceland-inspired sound of debut album Return to the Sea. Rebecca Raber of Pitchfork writes, "Gone are the guest rappers, the acoustic nuevo-country twang, and the sunny Afro-Caribbean flourishes ... In their place are theatrical string arrangements, layers of silvery, minor-key guitars, and lots of gothy synthesizers."[5] Most lyrics include references to death and violence, themes which are shared with frontman Nick Thorburn's previous project The Unicorns.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Arm" | 5:38 |
| 2. | "Pieces of You" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "J'aime vous voir quitter" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Abominable Snow" | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Creeper" | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Kids Don't Know Shit" | 5:11 |
| 7. | "Life in Jail" | 5:27 |
| 8. | "In the Rushes" (contains a portion of "A Quick One While He's Away" by The Who) | 7:00 |
| 9. | "We Swim" | 5:06 |
| 10. | "To a Bond" | 7:47 |
| 11. | "I Feel Evil Creeping In" | 5:31 |
| 12. | "Vertigo (If It's a Crime)" | 11:01 |
Personnel
Adapted from AllMusic.[12]
- Patrice Agbokou – bass
- Rebecca Bird – artwork
- Doug Boehm – mixing
- Greg Calbi – mastering
- Alex Chow – percussion, synthesizer, viola, violin
- Sebastian Chow – oboe, piano, violin, vocals
- Chris Constable – mixing assistant
- Corn Gangg – drum programming
- Steve Fallone – mastering
- Patrick Gregoire – bass clarinet, guitar
- Ryan Hadlock – engineer, producer
- Aaron Harris – drums, percussion, vocals
- Islands – arranger, primary artist, producer
- Mathieu Roberge – assistant engineer
- Rob Schnapf – mixing
- Nick Thorburn – guitar, vocals
- Alexander Wagner – photography