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Oct 9, 2020They’re constantly trying to better themselves, and provide their listeners with new ways of looking at old feelings. As Long As You Are is an endlessly rewarding listen, and it’s certainly worth the wait.
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Oct 6, 2020Burnished with all the hallmarks that have moulded the band into such a robust songwriting entity, As Long As You Are is a portrait of Herring and co at the top of their game - a collection of taught electro-pop numbers graced with poetic flair.
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Oct 13, 2020It’s a listening experience that’s as satisfying and rewarding as those aforementioned records. With a band as assured and stylistically unique as Future Islands, a choice to stay in their lane can only mean more good things.
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Oct 12, 2020Even when the tempo – and urgency – of these songs occasionally drops, they are rescued from mediocrity by Herring’s affecting lyrics: several songs contemplate the wreckages of toxic relationships with unflinching honesty.
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Oct 9, 2020An album that pays tribute to the past while emotionally resonant and sonically thrilling.
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Oct 8, 2020‘As Long As You Are’ maybe an unexpected handbrake turn for Future Islands and it may not be as hit-laden as its predecessor, but it’s a refreshing record in its own right and one that throws up plenty of existential quandaries.
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UncutOct 6, 2020herring's poetic analysis of a recent break-up makes it all a compelling listen. [Nov 2020, p.29]
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Oct 13, 2020A bracingly personal listen, As Long As You Are is as impactful as the follow-up to Singles should have been; it’s the sound of a band taking control.
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Oct 12, 2020This latest record delivers everything we’ve come to expect from the Baltimore-based band — plucky synths, drama-dripping vocals, and a well-rounded backdrop of sound that sounds like something out of an outer-space orchestra, rather than something mixed over Zoom.
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Nov 16, 2020Throughout these 11 songs, there’s a conflict between whether the characters are ready to move on or are fighting to go back to how it was.
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Oct 9, 2020An album that's an uneasy mix of a band that's fully in control of their sound, making some good choices as they expand, but also occasionally toppling over as they overreach. It's worth checking out for the songs that work -- the group certainly haven't lost their touch when it comes to uptempo gloomy synth pop -- and the less successful moments aren't enough to sink the album entirely.
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Oct 6, 2020Future Islands' landscapes of sound are more intricately detailed here than they have been before. Their poetic angst has matured into something more subdued and dripping with acceptance. As Long as You Are feels, in a way, like the band coming home to itself.
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Nov 2, 2020While As Long As You Are moves with more purpose than its predecessor, it’s hard to escape the feeling that something is lacking here.
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Oct 14, 2020The record feels like standing water, Herring is so entrenched in the past it’s hard to tell who he really is on so much of this record. There are, however, moments when the light shines in with the vibrancy of stained glass.
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Oct 9, 2020Herring’s blessed baritone vocals teamed with their trademark bittersweet synth and hefty baselines will continue to make for decent, honest albums for as long as the four-piece please, but the introduction of a faster, lighter tempo in tracks like ‘The Painter’ and ‘Hit The Coast’ could mark the beginning of a much-needed dive into uncharted musical waters.
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Oct 8, 2020If I’m honest, it’s as hard to tell this Future Islands album from the last one as it is to tell one seagull from another. But that’s not to say they don’t all soar and swoop in a way that’s guaranteed to lift the heart.
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Oct 8, 2020‘As Long As You Are’ is a steady-as-she-goes sort of affair - a solid effort from the four-piece that would fare better with a little more exploration.
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MojoOct 6, 2020Despite no huge leaps forward sonically, there are some fantastic scenes set to song. [Nov 2020, p.83]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 19 out of 20
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Mixed: 1 out of 20
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Negative: 0 out of 20
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Oct 21, 2020Great album from start to finish. Sounds almost to beautiful to be from 2020! Wonderful work in a terrible year.
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Oct 11, 2020Word's can't describe the feeling this album evokes in me. A true masterpiece and nothing less.
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Oct 9, 2020Thumping baselines, swirling synths and Sam’s vocals- what’s not to like? Absolutely brilliant.