Welcome to another stunning round of Battle of the British Bands, and in this corner - weighing in at a light as air amount, we have FIELD MUSIC! That’s pretty much how it goes these days – another day, another talented U.K. band. I am happy to report though that Field Music have found a way to stand out. Hailing from Sunderland in northeastern England, band members and brothers Peter Brewis and David Brewis along with Andrew Moore, mention on their website that they like to hole up in their studio, insisting that “Fleetwood Mac be played at volumes which test the limits of human hearing endurance”. Can we tell they’re not running with The Arctic Monkeys or Doves crowd? Comparing yourself to the Big Mac is a tough one. They have to either a) assure everyone that they don’t spin around in black chiffon or b) live up to the expert craftsmanship that took the 70s rockers to insane heights back in the day. So, how did the young pups of Field Music do?
I’ll give them 7 out of 10 because they’ve made such a good start. They have the dreamy harmonies almost down to a science but, here are also enough quirky musical elements, á la Mac guitarist/producer Lindsey Buckingham, that keep their album from drowning in sugary sweetness. In fact, what the band does so well is create well-manufactured pop songs. Most of the trio’s 14 tracks are about 3 minutes and, as Field Music are definitely not a jam band, that turns out to be the perfect running time. Take for instance “It’s Not the Only Way to Feel Happy” with its jingly jangly chords and slightly raw melancholic edge. It’s a track free of pretense or concern for the glam rocks that’s “in”. These are just three guys doing their thing and having a blast.
In fact, Field Music were so hot out of the gate that their debut self-titled release offers up three bonus tracks. I mention this only because one of those three songs, “Trying to Sit Out” should not be sitting around in bonus land. It’s short at 1:48, but with a little more expansion could easily be a winner. It’s one those songs that is both beautiful and risky at the same time – think of what Coldplay used to do before they ended up bloated and overblown.
There are other bands out there, Nic Armstrong and The Thieves for one, who are going back to making shamelessly gorgeous pop music, but Field Music just seem to mean it more than the others. |