Return to the Sea (10th Anniversary Remaster)

by Islands

supported by

Puce King I'll likely be listening to this record until I die. No matter how many times I hear it, new emotions always boil to the surface for me. A fantastic album worthy of a remaster. Keep sweet. Favorite track: Swans (Life After Death) (Remaster).

brockcantrell This album still feels fresh and new, even on it's 10th anniversary. Favorite track: Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone (Remaster).

Justin Leider this album chronicles the experience of wavering between childhood and adulthood... it's fun and dark, it's cerebral and emotional, it's unpredictable and catchy, and it still feels painfully and pleasantly relevant Favorite track: Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby (Remaster).

UFOllie If you haven't listened to Islands, start here. Or anywhere. Just listen to them. Favorite track: Volcanoes (Remaster).

Shane Bonnell As mellow, chaotic and sweet now as when it came out, and only enhanced by the remaster. Favorite track: Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone (Remaster).

Amber Purcell Ten years later, and this album still has one of my favorite love songs of all time on it in "Jogging Gorgeous Summer". It's great that this amazing album is getting its due reissue. Favorite track: Jogging Gorgeous Summer (Remaster).

more...

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Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$10 USD or more
10th Anniversary Edition CD
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

Comes in a sharp digipak with booklet ft lyrics, essay, credits and photos

Includes unlimited streaming of Return to the Sea (10th Anniversary Remaster) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Sold Out
10th Anniversary Edition Vinyl
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
2x 180 gram vinyl at 45rpm. The artwork has received a tasteful touch-up, with printed inner sleeve lyrics, archival photos never before released, and an in-depth essay about the album’s creation by Mr. Diamonds himself.

Includes unlimited streaming of Return to the Sea (10th Anniversary Remaster) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Sold Out

1.	Swans (Life After Death) (Remaster) 09:30	buy track
2.	Humans (Remaster) 04:58	buy track
3.	Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby (Remaster) 02:31	buy track
4.	Rough Gem (Remaster) 03:36	buy track
5.	Tsuxiit (Remaster) 03:05	buy track
6.	Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone (Remaster) 03:56	buy track
7.	Jogging Gorgeous Summer (Remaster) 02:47	buy track
8.	Volcanoes (Remaster) 05:26	buy track
9.	If (Remaster) 04:29	buy track
10.	Ones (Remaster) 05:24	buy track
11.	Bucky Littlewing (Remaster) 09:34	buy track

about

Return to Return to the Sea

“Who knew how warm the islands would be...” Ten years on, Islands is celebrating the release of their seminal debut album Return to the Sea with a classy anniversary reissue. Remastered for vinyl and pressed to 2x 180 gram vinyl at 45rpm, it has never sounded better. The artwork has received a tasteful touch-up, with gatefold, inserts with archival photos never before released, and an in-depth essay about the album’s creation by Mr. Diamonds himself. The following excerpts are the first and last paragraphs from that essay:

“On December 31st, 2004, I flew down to Los Angeles from Campbell River, B.C. I was at a puzzling intersection: A few days earlier, my band, the Unicorns, had finally combusted onstage in Houston, Texas. I'd just turned twenty-three. I had thrown all of my possessions on the sidewalk a year prior and now had nowhere to live. I was adrift. My friend Adam Gollner convinced me to come down to LA, where he was writing and researching his first book. The idea was to clear my head and get some sun for two weeks. It ended up raining torrentially every day. After the rain cleared, I invited my former bandmate Jamie Thompson to join me. We spent the next three months in LA plotting our next move, knowing we wanted to continue playing music together after the dissolution of the Unicorns....

...For years, I maintained a distance to this record, and considered overhauling it entirely. After Jamie and I had assembled the band to perform the songs live in the fall of 2005, I wanted to re-record everything with them. When the 10th anniversary of the record’s release started rolling around in the spring of 2016, I strongly considered doing a reimagined remix, losing excess instrumentation and caking my vocals in a more professional gloss. For ages I bristled at the record’s flaws; my squeaky, earnest vocals, drums and guitars that sounded meek when I wanted them to sound heavy, precious lyrics, naive melodies. No, this record isn’t anywhere near perfect, and nor should anything earthly be. I’ve only started to realize that this record’s imperfections are exactly what cradles its meaning and curiosities, its heart and spirit. Here it is again. Back in my arms or under my wings, the waves licking our ankles, ready to head back out again. Don’t forget to lift the locked groove.”

credits

released November 11, 2016

license

about

Islands Los Angeles, California

shows

Apr 17

Ramsgate Music Hall

Ramsgate, UK
Apr 18

Future Yard

Birkenhead, UK
Apr 19

Broadcast

Glasgow, UK
Apr 20

Headrow House

Leeds, UK
Apr 23

The Shacklewell Arms

London, UK
Apr 24

Dust

Brighton, UK
Apr 27

The Workman's Cellar

Dublin, Ireland
Apr 28

Prim's Bookshop

Cork, Ireland
May 3

8mm Bar

Berlin, Germany

contact / help

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