The agonies of unrequited love is a musical theme that can easily devolve into mere cliche and hopeless sentimentalism - but Baltimore synthpop band Future Islands have managed to gain mainstream success by virtue of the sheer charisma, heartfelt lyricism and danceable melancholy displayed by their breakthrough 2014 single "Seasons (Waiting On You)". While the song did gain much attention from frontman Stephen T. Herring's rather eccentric live performances at David Letterman and Jools Holland, the song can certainly stand for its own artistic merit.
The song's emotional core comes through directly enough: it's mainly about the romantic despair, anxiety and emotional stasis caused by the lyrical persona's decision to hang onto the mere possibility of a significant other's change of heart. Or, as Pitchfork's Jeremy D. Larson puts it, a world "shaped by geological heartbreak events and their epochal reflection periods, told with nothing more than the simple truth:"
"Seasons changeAnd I tried hard just to soften youThe seasons changeBut I've grown tired of trying to change for youBecause I've been waiting on youI've been waiting on you"
There is, however, no evidence of stagnation in Herring's impassioned vocals (which conveys the urgency of his romantic yearning in a manner you just can't be indifferent to) and the track's soaring, dynamic instrumentals. (who ranked it #No. 1 on their 2014 songs of the year list) note that "William Cashion and Gerrit Welmers back up their frontman’s momentum with emphatic chord changes and surges in volume". The Guardian's Tim Jonze also ranked it as the best track of 2014, heaping praise on Herring's vocal delivery:
"Over a strident, simple bass pattern, Herring’s voice pulls and strains and wavers at all the crucial moments, from emotive peaks to deep baritone lows, flecked with grit and gravel. His sheer unfashionable sincerity, as he conveys feelings of hope and disenchantment that rise and fall with the undulating wash of synthesiser, is notable for how much it stands out from current pop trends."
And given that Pitchfork, Spin and NME also considered "Seasons (Waiting On You)" to be the best track of 2014, I really should be kicking myself for not discovering it sooner. But great music like this naturally stands the test of time, drawing in new listeners long after the hype and media attention dies.
