From their start, Future Islands have been singular and instantly identifiable. Samuel T. Herring’s life-worn croons and cries backlit by Gerrit Welmers’ melodies and charged by the rhythms of William Cashion and Michael Lowry. There’s a pain and a joy in Herring’s voice that’s only been rivaled by their legendary live performances. Future Islands have played nearly 1,500 shows – shows that have bruised bodies, frayed vocal cords, provided escapes for audiences, and healed their messengers. On the heels of the recent release of its seventh album, “People Who Aren’t There Anymore,” Future Islands have unveiled an Ivana Bobic directed video for the song “The Thief” and announced a North American tour in further support of the project. The album heralds a new chapter for Future Islands who, despite having formed nearly two decades ago, continue to challenge themselves and each other. Where they’ve pursued ever-higher energy anthems in the past, they’ve turned inward this time and unlocked a new level of ferocity. The album delivers some of their most inspiring and heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, and making each breath, syllable, and cymbal crash count. Co-produced by Future Islands and Steve Wright and mixed by Wright and Chris Coady, the result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best work of their career.