The Far Field (album)

Last updated
The Far Field
Future islands the far field.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 7, 2017
Recorded2016
Studio Sunset Sound Recorders
(Hollywood, California)
Mercy Sound
(New York City, New York)
Genre
Length45:14
Label 4AD
Producer John Congleton
Future Islands chronology
Singles
(2014)
The Far Field
(2017)
As Long as You Are
(2020)
Singles from The Far Field
  1. "Ran"
    Released: January 31, 2017
  2. "Cave"
    Released: March 24, 2017

The Far Field is the fifth studio album by American synthpop band Future Islands, released on April 7, 2017 through 4AD. [1] Several parallels can be made between this studio album and the band's second studio album, In Evening Air : both are titled after the final volume of poetry by Theodore Roethke, and both have album art produced by former band member Kymia Nawabi. [2]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Spin 6/10 [11]
Exclaim! 9/10 [12]

The Far Field received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 29 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" [3] and UK-based music webzine Drowned In Sound ranked it at 98 on their list of 100 favorite albums of 2017. [13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Future Islands.

No.TitleLength
1."Aladdin"4:13
2."Time On Her Side"3:39
3."Ran"3:26
4."Beauty of the Road"4:09
5."Cave"3:52
6."Through the Roses"3:15
7."North Star"3:35
8."Ancient Water"3:56
9."Candles"3:57
10."Day Glow Fire"3:49
11."Shadows" (featuring Debbie Harry)4:05
12."Black Rose"3:25
Total length:45:14

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] 60
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [15] 49
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [16] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [17] 102
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [18] 64
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 74
Irish Albums (IRMA) [20] 11
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) [21] 2
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [22] 21
Scottish Albums (OCC) [23] 9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [24] 37
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [25] 58
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] 38
UK Albums (OCC) [27] 18
US Billboard 200 [28] 52

Related Research Articles

<i>Conspiracy of One</i> 2000 studio album by the Offspring

Conspiracy of One is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on November 14, 2000, by Columbia Records. By the time of its release, the band had come out in support of peer-to-peer file sharing, claiming it would not hurt sales. Conspiracy of One was originally planned to be released directly on their website before retail, until Columbia Records threatened to sue and the album ended up as a physical release. The album was the last to feature drummer Ron Welty, who left the band in early 2003 to pursue his career with Steady Ground.

<i>Absolution</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Muse

Absolution is the third studio album by English rock band Muse. It was released on 15 September 2003 in Japan, 22 September 2003 in the United Kingdom by East West Records and Taste Media and 23 March 2004 in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album followed up on Origin of Symmetry's diverse musical tendencies and elaborate sound, while also having a more focused and consistent theme and aesthetic throughout. Absolution has a noticeably darker and heavier tone musically, with a lyrical focus on theological and apocalyptic concepts.

<i>Out of Exile</i> 2005 studio album by Audioslave

Out of Exile is the second studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave. It was released on May 23, 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States, by Epic Records and Interscope Records. It is the band's only album to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Four singles were released from the album, which were "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me", and "Out of Exile". "Doesn't Remind Me" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006.

<i>Day & Age</i> 2008 studio album by the Killers

Day & Age is the third studio album by American rock band the Killers. It was released on November 18, 2008, by Island Records. Frontman and lead vocalist Brandon Flowers described it as the band's "most playful record". As of May 2015, Day & Age had sold three million copies worldwide. Following the release of the album, the band embarked on the Day & Age World Tour.

<i>Hopes and Fears</i> 2004 studio album by Keane

Hopes and Fears is the debut studio album by the English alternative rock band Keane. It was released on 10 May 2004 in the United Kingdom and topped the UK Albums Chart upon release. It was the second best-selling British album of 2004, behind the Scissor Sisters' self-titled debut album, and has since been certified 9× Platinum by the BPI. The album returned to the top of the charts after winning a Brit Award for Best Album in February 2005.

<i>Here and Now</i> (Nickelback album) 2011 studio album by Nickelback

Here and Now is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, and is their last to be released on Roadrunner Records. The album was released on November 21, 2011. It is the follow-up to their multi-platinum selling Dark Horse in 2008. On September 26, the band officially released two singles, "When We Stand Together" and "Bottoms Up". Both songs were made available for download on September 27, 2011. The first track of the record, "This Means War", was released on November 10, 2011 as the third single. The album's cover features Vancouver's Gastown Steam Clock. The clock is set at 11:21, the date the album was released.

<i>Stories</i> (Avicii album) 2015 studio album by Avicii

Stories is the second studio album by Swedish electronic music producer Avicii, released on 2 October 2015 by PRMD Music and Island Records. It was produced by Avicii along with Salem Al Fakir, Alex Ebert, Carl Falk, Kristoffer Fogelmark, Martin Garrix, Dhani Lennevald, Ash Pournouri, Albin Nedler, and Vincent Pontare on several tracks. It is his last studio album to be released in his lifetime.

<i>Chaos and the Calm</i> 2014 studio album by James Bay

Chaos and the Calm is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter James Bay. It was first released on 15 December 2014 via Republic Records.

<i>Handwritten</i> (Shawn Mendes album) 2015 studio album by Shawn Mendes

Handwritten is the debut studio album by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes, released on April 14, 2015, by Island. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 119,000 album-equivalent units, of which 106,000 copies were pure album sales, becoming the tenth artist to chart under the age of 18. The album includes "Stitches", which reached top 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles Chart. The album's reissue, Handwritten Revisited features the US top 20 single "I Know What You Did Last Summer". To promote the album, Mendes performed in several television shows and awards. Two concert tours were also supported by the album: ShawnsFirstHeadlines and Shawn Mendes World Tour.

<i>Immortalized</i> (Disturbed album) 2015 studio album by Disturbed

Immortalized is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The album was released on August 21, 2015 by Reprise Records, and is Disturbed's first studio album since Asylum (2010), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in their career. With 98,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, Immortalized is Disturbed's fifth consecutive number one debut on the United States Billboard 200 chart. They are the third band in history to achieve this feat, after Metallica and Dave Matthews Band. The band also found crossover success in the album's third single, a cover of the 1964 song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, which marked Disturbed's highest ranked single on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 42 and has since become Disturbed's biggest song since "Down with the Sickness".

<i>Lukas Graham</i> (2015 album) 2015 studio album by Lukas Graham

Lukas Graham is the second studio album by Danish band Lukas Graham. It was released in Denmark on 16 June 2015 through Copenhagen Records. The album includes the singles "Mama Said", "Strip No More" and "7 Years". A version of the album incorporating "Drunk in the Morning" and "Better Than Yourself " from the band's debut was released internationally on 1 April 2016, serving as the band's debut album in the United States and United Kingdom.

<i>Prisoner</i> (Ryan Adams album) 2017 studio album by Ryan Adams

Prisoner is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. It was released on February 17, 2017. The album is Adams' first album of original material since his 2014 album, Ryan Adams, and was preceded by the singles "Do You Still Love Me?", "To Be Without You", and "Doomsday".

<i>Heartworms</i> (album) 2017 album by The Shins

Heartworms is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Shins, released by Columbia Records on March 10, 2017—the band's first studio album in five years. It was produced by James Mercer, with the exception of "So Now What", which was produced by former band member Richard Swift. The album art is based on the Japanese Ukiyo-e triptych Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre.

<i>Memories...Do Not Open</i> 2017 studio album by The Chainsmokers

Memories...Do Not Open is the debut studio album by American electronic music duo the Chainsmokers, released on April 7, 2017, by Disruptor Records and Columbia Records. Its release was preceded by the singles "Paris" and "Something Just Like This", both of which reached the top 10 in several national charts. Upon its release, the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 221,000 album-equivalent units, of which 166,000 were pure album sales.

<i>Slowdive</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Slowdive

Slowdive is the fourth studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was released on 5 May 2017 by the record label Dead Oceans. It is Slowdive's first studio album in 22 years, following Pygmalion (1995). It is also the band's first album since Souvlaki (1993) to feature the drummer Simon Scott as a member.

<i>Evolve</i> (Imagine Dragons album) 2017 studio album by Imagine Dragons

Evolve is the third studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on June 23, 2017, by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. After the release of their previous album Smoke + Mirrors (2015) and its respective world tour, a self-imposed hiatus for 2016 and cryptic messages from the band through their social media gained anticipation for their third album; it was finally announced on May 9, 2017, along with the initiation of its pre-order. In comparison to Smoke + Mirrors and their 2012 debut Night Visions, frontman Dan Reynolds called the album an "evolution" for the band.

<i>Hitchhiker</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Neil Young

Hitchhiker is the 37th studio album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young, issued September 8, 2017 on Reprise Records. It is the ninth release in Young's ongoing archival release series and the first of the Special Release series.

<i>On Air</i> (Rolling Stones album) 2017 live album by the Rolling Stones

On Air is a live album by the Rolling Stones released on 1 December 2017. The standard versions of the album contain 18 live and studio recordings of the band aired on the BBC in 1963–1965. Deluxe editions of the album contain an additional 14 tracks. It emerged 20 years after initial newspaper reports that such an album could be forthcoming.

<i>Wildness</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Snow Patrol

Wildness is the seventh studio album by Northern Irish-Scottish rock band Snow Patrol. The album was released on 25 May 2018. It is their first album with Johnny McDaid as a full member of the band, after his involvement as a guest musician and songwriter on Fallen Empires and participation in its tour.

<i>Suncity</i> 2018 EP by Khalid

Suncity is the first extended play by American singer Khalid. It was released on October 19, 2018 by RCA Records. It was supported by the single "Better". The EP debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200.

References

  1. "The Far Field by Future Islands". 4AD Records . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  2. Grant, Sarah (April 10, 2017). "Future Islands: The Unlikely Rise of Baltimore's Heartache Kings". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Reviews for The Far Field by Future Islands". Metacritic . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  4. Sendra, Tim. "The Far Field – Future Islands". AllMusic . Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  5. Dennis, Jon (April 6, 2017). "Future Islands: The Far Field review – thriving masters of modern synth-pop". The Guardian . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  6. "Future Islands: The Far Field". Mojo (282): 94. May 2017.
  7. Cochrane, Greg (April 5, 2017). "Future Islands – 'The Far Field' Review". NME . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  8. Snapes, Laura (April 10, 2017). "Future Islands: The Far Field". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  9. "Future Islands: The Far Field". Q (371): 106. May 2017.
  10. Dolan, Jon (April 6, 2017). "Review: Future Islands Open Up New Romantic Heart on 'The Far Field'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  11. Cush, Andy (April 5, 2017). "Review: On The Far Field, Future Islands Struggle With the Limits of Their Signature Sound". Spin . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  12. Lindsay, Cam (April 5, 2017). "Future Islands: The Far Field". Exclaim! Magazine . Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  13. "Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2017". Drowned in Sound . November 22, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  14. "ARIA CHART WATCH #416". auspOp. April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – Future Islands – The Far Field" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Future Islands – The Far Field" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  17. "Ultratop.be – Future Islands – The Far Field" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Future Islands – The Far Field" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Future Islands – The Far Field" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  20. "Irish Albums Chart: 14 April 2017". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  21. "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  22. "Portuguesecharts.com – Future Islands – The Far Field". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  23. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  24. "TOP 100 ALBUMES — SEMANA 15: del 07.04.2017 al 13.04.2017" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España . Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  25. "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved December 9, 2017. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Future Islands – The Far Field". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  28. "Future Islands Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2017.