Future Islands releases new song ‘King of Sweden’
American electronic rockers Future Islands have returned with a brand new single, the driving and very dancing ‘King of Sweden’.
For anyone unfamiliar with Future Islands and their unique blend of rock, dance, disco and electronics, ‘King of Sweden’ will be the perfect introduction. That’s because everything that makes the Baltimore band fantastic is here: throbbing rhythms, explosive choruses, obscure lyrics, endless washes of keyboards and pulsating synths, and some wild song melodies that hover over the top as well.
Singer Samuel Herring is at his best when he sounds as if he is about to become completely new, and at the end of ‘King of Sweden’, Herring sounds as if he is about to explode. It’s a great trick that is often used in the band: start low and soft, and keep building it feels like things can not get bigger. If the large impact is not large enough, they simply become larger and stronger until it is almost deafening.
But Future Islands never loses sight of the earworms or the driving rock and roll at their core. This is a dance band for people who can not dance, and they are also a rock band for people who do not like rock music. Future Islands is a rare band that can be anything for everyone, while maintaining their signature sound. They have grasped everything, and as long as they continue to release jams that are as potent and catchy as “King of Sweden”, they can not lose.
There is no real rush for the group to storm back in this way: their album As Long as You Are from 2020 was phenomenal, and they kept us happy with the 2021 single ‘Peach’. Future Islands usually work in three-year album cycles, which means that we are still probably a year away from a new full-length release from the band. It’s OK because songs like ‘King of Sweden’ remind us why they’re always a band worth returning to.
Check out the sound for ‘King of Sweden’ below.