As with past volumes, when I’m assigned their final tracks, I tend to go for ones that sound epic—a single take, a sunset, a long sigh. “Long Flight” put me in a reflective mood, and I wanted to return to some of the slower tempos from earlier in the volume. I like Future Islands and their off-kilter, dark new wave sound, so it was difficult to parse a response down from a vast library that’s been invaded and conquered by new wave-influenced bands year after year.
Or perhaps I just didn’t know where else to go. This volume has been, to say the least, erratic. It was driven almost more by personal whims than a desire for consistency. In many ways, that’s been proof of our unofficial motto around here: follow the music, post from the gut, do what feels appropriate. If this volume has meandered down a river, perhaps I consider “Blinders” to be the time when the dock finally comes into view.
m. joosse
Filed under: Mixtape, NEIMT, Vol 12, Geographer