Run, Don't Walk To Future Island's New Single

Oh 80s synth pop, how I've missed you so. You made my 80s listening experience the profound joy it turned out to be. You've come back to visit me in the guise of Baltimore's Future Islands and, specifically, its newest single "Ran," lifted from its soon to be released album "The Far Field". Go ahead and crown lead singer Samuel T. Herring as a force to be reckoned with. Physically he lays it all on the line. The video shows what kind of great shape he must be in. His expressive face hints at a style that can be compared to nothing we've heard in a painfully long time. His persona is equal parts playful and muscular. When his face addresses the camera no one dares look away. He commands your undivided attention and gets it no questions asked. Yeah programmer and keyboardist Gerrit Weimers and guitarist William Cashion also play their roles admirably but this is clearly Samuel's show and he's milking it for all it's worth. "Ran" glides on smooth like the highest quality anti-perspirant. It's very listener friendly like one of those travel programs where you don't have to leave home to take some semblance of a vacation. In clothing terms it meshes together fabulously. Samuel sounds very love-stricken. Some lady is lucky to be the object of his affections. The first verse doesn't skimp on enticing visuals such as the rabbit's foot in the locket with no key. He proclaims he "can't take this world without you." He sings of the out of control feelings love forces us to confront. One intriguing line that really speaks to me is "driving snow knows the cold." When last I checked snow was an inanimate object incapable of intellectual reasoning. But, there you have it in a nutshell, the reason why Future Islands merits closer attention in this and the coming years. This threesome gets many points for reopening the 80s nostalgia floodgates. In addition it strikes me as a band that earns its honeymoon get to know you period because it doesn't beat you over the head with saucy hooks. Future Islands has them but spreads them out gracefully over the course of the three minutes, twenty-six second running time. That's how the visuals and sound sync up so masterfully. Future Islands has bottled a formula for success that ought to keep them front and center in music circles for a good while. In essence "Ran" burns off calories and excites the ear in equal measure.