Future Islands’ debut album saw the Baltimore troupe reinterpreting ‘80s New Wave through a Dadaist, punk-rock lens, while on their follow-up, In Evening Air, they start to sound like the icons to whom they lovingly pay tribute. Miniature anthems like “Tin Man” have lead singer Samuel T. Herring belting atop chiming keyboard hooks like a man on the brink of collapse, while songs like “As I Fall” illustrate the band’s masterful balance of airtight bass grooves and atmospheric electronics.
- The War on Drugs
- The National
- The Snails
- Arcade Fire