24. March 2026
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Media Review

Josh Island – Imaginary Borders

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Josh Island - Imaginary Borders

Josh Island - Imaginary Borders
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very atmospheric songs
  • Lovely storytelling
  • Nice range of songs

Josh Island is an artist from Luxembourg. I featured him in my Songs of the Week four times already. Steadily growing, the artist releases his second album on 6th March 2026. Here is my review of Imaginary Borders.

 

Josh Island – About The Artist

Josh Island is a Luxembourgian singer-songwriter. However, he is a true European. He was born in Milton Keynes in England and grew up in a Dutch family. He later also lived in the Netherlands and Germany. His sophomore album Imaginary Borders is cosmopolitan as well. He wrote it in Luxembourg and Greece, recorded it in Amsterdam and Lisbon. His music is defined by pop, rock and folk elements. His debut album is In My Head (2023).

 

Josh Island – Imaginary Borders – Track by Track

The thirteen song album lasts 44 minutes.

1. Artemis

Six of the Imaginary Borders songs have been released before the album. This includes the first four songs of the album. Artemis is a very versatile song. Some passages feel like folk-pop, others have stronger indie vibe. And there is even a slight rock flavor. The core element of the song is the beautiful and gently flowing chorus, though.

2. Little Boy On The Hill

I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a little bit smaller – these are the first two lines of Little Boy On The Hill. The stanzas are close to spoken songs and thus are quite a contrast to the pop-ish singer songwriter style chorus. Including a nice usage of different layers of vocals, the song has a nice versatile and entertaining style.

3. Courage

In my promo package of the album, the next song is Courage, while the lyrics sheet states Unconditionally as third track. I stick with that order, having this rather short song. Within 2:48 minutes, Josh Island manages to tell a catching story, which also comes with some nice melodic twists. A very characterful, but absolutely nice listen.

4. Unconditionally

You say you love me like that
With all of my problems and cracks
Your elixir’s like rum
I’ll give you all that you want

Unconditionally is a beautiful love song. It is full of trust and respect. On the musical side, it is having a nice rhythmic style in the stanzas, while the chorus is having a lot of energy. Out of the already released tracks, this one is my favorite song.

Cause even if I ain’t close to being perfect
You love me who I am and you make it worth it
You show me love unconditionally

5. Love In The Corner

Not only the title, but the slightly soupy intro of the fifth song tell you that this one is full of emotions as well. The song turns into a rather straight singer songwriter tracks, which beautifully works with some brass instruments in the background. I definitely recommend this one for your romantic playlist.

6. Blind Driver

After this very emotional songs, Blind Driver feels to wake you up. The song is very rhythmic and has a strong groove. Dancing to this tune is absolutely recommended – it’s extremely catching. And it comes with a story worth listening to as well.

7. Breeze

Breeze is a very present pop track. Still, you feel the singer songwriter skills of Josh Islands. There is a lot of energy and groove emerging from the guitar section. The chorus is very energizing and catching again. A really good write.

8. Ropes

Ropes is a faster song, which comes in a more reduced instrumental setting. This leads to a nice focus on the lyrics of the song. The song has a beautiful flow and some backing sound elements even increase the lovely flow of the song. Nice one!

What do you say
Untie my ropes and push my boat away
What do you say
I take my courage out to sea
What do you say
I feel so lost being alone out here
What do you say
Although I feel so out of reach
One day I’ll shore up on your beach

9. You & Me

Oh you and me, we got each other and a melody – that’s what the chorus of the ninth track is stating. The song is coming with summer vibes, which is not too bad with spring slowly coming up (at least in the Northern hemisphere). There is a strong focus on the vocals, the instruments including some nice percussion are rather in the background.

10. Birds

Josh Island presents Birds as the tenth song of Imaginary Borders. The song comes with a fine, dreaming melody. That’s just in line with the story, which starts with I see the birds take off to the South. A very beautiful listen, coming with a picturesque storytelling.

11. Don’t Pull Yourself Down

The title of this single release already tells you the topic of the song. Don’t pull yourself down is popping up very frequently in the lyrics, which makes the song feel like a mantra. Despite the uplifting lyrics, there is a bit of melancholy in this song.

12. Rise Up

You got the power, in the palm of your hands
You got the power, it’s the look in your eyes
You got the power, running deep in your soul
You got the power, in your voice

The song goes for a similar message than its predecessor. However, it is much louder, made to sing with Josh Island. The mantra-alike style stays, though.

13. We Can Win

What’s a better final message for Imaginary Borders than We Can Win? The song starts as a piano track, but later goes for a wider arrangement. We can win if we try – a strong statement at the end of the album.

 

Josh Island – Imaginary Borders – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

Josh Island – Imaginary Borders – My View

After being exposed to a few single releases, I was absolutely curious about Imaginary Borders. Josh Island did not disappoint me. His second album is a beautiful one with nice messages and beautiful storytelling. I also like the versatility in the songs presented. A really nice release.

Favorite Song: Breeze

 

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