Should I Remain Here, At Sea

 Should I Remain Here, At Sea

Released in 2016, Should I Remain Here, At Sea is Islands sixth studio album. They have an indie synth pop sound, a genre that I am very familiar with. What I found really interesting about this album was that it was mostly performed live and in some cases, one take. This makes it all the more intimate, showing the rawest versions of these tracks. When reviewing albums I like seeing other perspectives and how they differ from my own. With this album there was little to no analysis on these songs, leaving it completely up to my interpretation. This was a great exercise as I love overanalyzing the music I listen to. 

The first track Back Into It is easily the catchiest song on the album with a more synth oriented sound. The more upbeat tones were deceptive as fully listening to the lyrics will tell you a much different story. The themes are more bittersweet, Looking back into a previous relationship. Here he’s still taking the power back after having to sacrifice parts of himself to appease his lover. 

Stop me now continues the themes that Back Into It had. The use of tap dancing in the instrumental added an element of charm to the track. The eccentricities of these songs provide an interesting contrast to the more sorrow-filled lyrics a lot of these songs contain. Upon first listen, Innocent Man was instantly one of my favorites. The lyricism shines and the guitar work is distinctly dynamic. It’s unfortunate that this track was under two minutes, I would have loved to hear more. 

The second half of the album sets the scene for more melancholy sounding tracks as it is considerably less upbeat than some of the previous songs. Christmas Tree alludes to his instability and the human condition. He puts on a facade while everyone else around him is completely unaware of the inner turmoil he faces. He compares himself to a Christmas tree being discarded or put into storage after the holiday. He’s only desired when he appears at his best and this is something that deeply bothers him. Right To Be Misbegotten is beautifully crushing. The vocals are exceptional, having such a fervent quality to them. The track is a retrospective into regret and devastation of a life changing event. Here he grapples with grief and the inability to express it. What once was a beautiful memory now brings him sorrow. 

At Sea is a marvel of an album closer. Right from the synths in the beginning, I knew this one was going to be downright devastating. The song paints such a vivid picture of yearning it honest to god makes my heart ache. He so desperately wants his past love to remember how he loved them. The grief he feels comes in waves, now he’s faced with the understanding of this loss. The line, Now I know how this water got so blue is such a distinctly sad lyric that I can’t get out of my mind. The song ends quietly, being swept away with no real resolution. He’s still lost in the sea of his emotions. Having the album end on such a somber note was a choice I was really fond of. Loss can have such an intense impact on people that it doesn't go away. I feel it reflects that message well. I would consider this song to be my favorite off the album, also it made me cry so that counts for something. 

I feel the album bears some semblance to the stages of grief. Healing is an arduous journey however, bearing it all in these songs is such a valuable way to express that kind of pain. Towards the end you can see him reaching a place of acceptance and while the process of healing isn’t linear there’s still something uplifting about it. The lyrics were deeply personal and something I was absolutely able to relate to. The album has the ability to connect with others on such an emotional level which is a quality that I really appreciate. Should I Remain Here, At Sea came out alongside Taste, another album by the same band. Whether or not these albums are meant to reflect each other is still a mystery to me as I haven’t listened to the other album (yet!) This is something I’d like to explore as I really enjoyed this one.