Last September, Future Islands took four of their songs apart. The Baltimore trio was preparing to play unplugged for the first time at a local gallery, and to supplement their live set-up, they enlisted a cellist, drummer, and guitarist. The recordings of these sessions were laid down for broadcast on WYPR's "The Signal", then set to vinyl for Undressed, a limited 12" release. It's a quick but promising listen, the clear, fundamental beauty of every song's construction on full display.
Future Islands' sound is built largely around electronic textures both dense and lush, as well as the stubbled vocals of Samuel Herring. Stripping the former away has made more breathing room for the latter, and the result is compelling. Herring's vocals typically bring to mind Tom Waits, but here, they're all over the map and, thankfully, still over the top. Opener "In The Fall" makes good use of every instrument available before Herring makes his entrance, his voice transitioning from reptilian hiss to growl to Antony-like flutter. And all that extra space in a song allows for Herring's grandiosely phrased stories to take even clearer shape.
While none of the arrangements here do any disservice to their counterparts, a couple find a way to channel what made them good starting points. "Little Dreamer", one of Future Islands' finest and a song that's already been remixed along with the added vocals of fellow Baltimore-native Victoria Legrand of Beach House, is the best example. Originally a cavernous, drum machine-based dirge, here it becomes a snaggle-toothed lullaby. The moaning synth is gone, as is the echo, and what's left is a great deal of beauty, both lyrically and musically. Undressed would suggest Future Islands have plenty more in store.
