In the dust left by the dissolution of self-proclaimed "sludge-crust" band The Unicorns stand Nick Diamonds and Jaime T'ambour. Emerging with five other musicians to round out their group, Islands is chocked-full of musical diversity while maintaining a relatively uniform sound. While these supporting musicians were not present during the recording process, Diamonds and T'ambour made sure to surround themselves with a stockpile of musicians to give the album this full, diverse sound. While certainly changing directions from that of the The Unicorns, it is arguably a direction that will be more rewarding for them than their lo-fi counterpart ever could have been.
Opening with the sluggishly lengthy "Swans," it becomes clear from the beginning that Return to the Sea is not Diamonds' attempt at recording a mainstream commercial effort. Rather, it is an exploration of where his musical ambition can possibly take him. This can be seen in one of the better tracks on the album "Where There's a Will There's a Whalebone," in what could easily have been a novelty track. While lesser bands would have brought in name-droppable rap artists for the sole purpose of reining in cross-over success, Diamonds made certain that the specific styles of Giovanni Marks and Regan Farquhar fit with the direction of the album.
At first glance, their 'Islands' moniker and Return to the Sea album title appear to be simply a reference to The Unicorns' "Ready to Die." Yet, there is an overarching feel of Island rhythms and melodies on several tracks - including the freewheeling "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby," the indie-rockish "Rough Gem," and the near-parody of Gulf Coast-style country rock "Jogging Gorgeous Summer." While the second half of the album feels a bit less energetic than the first half, this does not necessarily give substandard results. The sweeping violins of "Volcanoes" are off-set by marching guitar strums, the lo-fi organ of "If" is complimented by Diamonds' honest lyrics, and the slow-building intensity of "Ones" is rarely matched previously on the album.
It is obvious that Diamonds is satisfied with Return to the Sea, and not simply because it succeeds at being what he dubbed a "tribute to the timeless sound of great pop music." While it certainly is a tribute to a countless number of artists and genres, the sound that he has fashioned is certainly of his own design. One can only hope that Islands, unlike The Unicorns, will not be Ready to Die so soon.
