The Isles

Outside Beauty Reviews:
The Line of Best Fit, Jamie Milton
9.27.10
One idea bumps into another, the two briefly exchange words until one dithers off elsewhere, the other hanging around before the process repeats. “Scatterbrained” is an apt one-word description of The Isles’ latest offering, projecting itself like the product of a two-week drink and drugs bender. 17 casual clicks of the record button in between the chaos later and they’ve produced an album of stern unpredictability and complete lack of pretence.
Outside Beauty is full to the brim with charm and simple melodies, each and every one delivered on the off-chance that something of substance will come as a result. The majority of tracks don’t get further than the one and a half minute mark; often being interrupted by another trail of thought. But the bulk of the album flows with surprising ease – astonishing, when you consider synths, acoustic guitars and percussion are swapping the leading roles like a Tekken tag team.
‘I’ll Take The Fall’ opens proceedings with a Jim Noir-like zaniness; repetitively strummed chords, Andrew Geller inanely announcing that; “Summer has its problems/ Winter has its problems”. The opener is arguably the most complete-sounding song on the entire album, with only the full-band groove of ‘So Tired’ and the title-track staking their claim elsewhere. Abstract, reverb-ridden pieces like the album’s longest track (at 2 minutes, 55 seconds), ‘Pretty Things’ work just as well, however. Vocals are indecipherable, the structure is non-aligned but there’s a calming mood to it all that balances out the pent up, emotional ramble that dominates much of the album.
There are some occasional, striking pieces; the stratospheric leanings of ‘After The Weekend’; the up-close, isolated intimacy of ‘I Don’t Care Who Calls’ and the touching swansong ‘Wait ‘Till The River Is Low’ all manage to capture your attention. All the same, for an album that turns its head so dramatically, very often, Outside Beauty is short of these stand-out moments. Perhaps with a little more calculation and a couple of stunning two-minute pop songs thrown in to the pot, something special could have been achieved. Instead we’re landed with an album of occasional genius, but one that makes you work extremely hard in order to discover said excellence.
Troika:
CJAM
The Isles "Troika"
"From the same school of melancholic pop as Magnetic Fields, Morrissey and Beat Happening, Isles drop their 2nd LP, "Troika", after the successes of their Melodic records-released album "Perfumed Lands" in 2006. The band's first studio recording, Isles keep their arrangements simple and direct, letting their songcraft do the heavy lifting as their keen hooks benefit from the crisp fidelity of the studio. With unassuming charm and skill, the band breeze through 14 tracks, seemingly never breaking a sweat as they cruise through perfect chorus after perfect chorus. "
http://cjam-music.blogspot.com/2009/02/asobi-seksu-hush-after-critical.html
DaggerZine
06.22.09
The Isles
TROIKA- (SELF RELEASED)- New York’s Isles’ third release starts off with “Justine,” a track that could have easily been written by Marshall Crenshaw. Remember him? Me neither, but the comparisons stop there. The next track, “Lately,” reveals the true influence of this band, The Smiths. With its Morrissey-ish, dead pan, whiny vocals and Marr’s jangly guitar, The Isles deliver finely crafted pop that I bet sounds better live. By far one of the best, and longest, tracks is “There’s No Heaven.” (Most of their songs clock in around two minutes.) Here’s a bouncy, jangly guitar pop song with David Byrne-ish vocals that ends with upbeat blistering guitar chords. Troika ends with a somber ballad, “Over & Under,” that brings Kitchens of Distinction to mind, mainly because of the vocals. As for the influences listed on their myspace: Guided by Voices, The Zombies, and Motown; I’m not seeing it. But if you like any of the bands I mentioned above, The Isles are right up your alley. ERIC EGGLESON
http://www.daggerzine.com/reviews_main.html
SkyScraper Magazine
The Isles’ Troika recalls the good old days of Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout, Felt, Orange Juice, and The Smiths, with a small debt to Beat Happening. But while I’m making imperfect comparisons, I’ll mention The Dears, a Canadian band whose music channels a later era of Brit-pop—Suede, Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers. Like The Dears, The Isles aren’t especially derivative, but they give the impression that they’ve had a dream of the ideal pop music, and upon waking can’t get it to sound quite as good. So Troika may only be 75% of the way there, but it’s well worth your while.
http://wmcn.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-music-round-up-speaking-of-condo.html
Pop Matters
This, announces the publicity, is the first Isles album not to have been recorded in a basement. The guitars make a yearning, ringing sound, a 1980s-Manchester echo. The group is based in New York. Its frontman spends most of Troika singing with the languid croon of a Morrissey, making exceptions for “Goodwill and Cachet”, in which his voice deepens and steadies and he sounds like Johnny Cash, and “Under the Cover of Paradise”, where he adopts a muted Jim Morrison swagger backed up by a Doorsish keyboard. The guitars and the croon invite you to compare their lyrics to those of the Smiths. They come off worse. The musicians are adept enough, yet they wear their influences so clearly on their sleeves that as I sat in the fade-away of the last track the only thought in my head was: “I wonder what they would sound like if none of those other bands had existed?”
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71785-the-isles-troika/



PERFUMED LANDS
THE GAURDIAN: "Flashes of contemporary color in flighty rhythms but a wash of late 1980s British Indies influences" (4/5)
NME: "a slow burn album for all seasons" (8/10)
MAGIC RPM: "In thirty minutes and ten meticulous songs, The Isles have promised an eternity." (Album of the Month September 2006) (6/6)
MAGNET: "Subtle, Skillful Smiths-Riffing"
BABYSUE: Easily one of the best new bands of the year. (5++/6)
PITCHFORK: "Nearly as over-the-top as My Chemical Romance but even less believable" (4.7/10)
Bio:
The Isles is a group that’s had over a dozen members but never more than four at once.
Most of the recording has been in the dark, dingy basement of their headquarters, Action Jackson. The house stands in Long Island City and has hosted dozens of cultural events and rock shows including: Japanther, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Au Revoir Simone, Jeff Louis… The name comes from the address (Jackson Ave) and the late 80’s super action movie starring Carl Weathers (Action Jackson).



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