UK indie rockers FIELD MUSIC are back with their fourth LP, the stunning avant-garde pop flavoured Plumb. I must admit to not being overly familiar with their work. Hell, I’d never heard of them before this album, but after a little research it seems Field Music have a rather large cult following.
The group’s core consists of brothers David and Peter Brewis (who at one stage drummed for The Futureheads), and after a few years on hiatus in the late 00s, Field Music began playing music together again, resulting in 2010’s well-received Field Music (Measure) and this year’s Plumb.
Plumb can easily be described as a guitar album, but there is something fresh and unusual about Field Music. Opener ‘Start The Day Right’ has hints of The Beatles and Hall & Oates, ‘Sorry Again, Mate’ has soaring strings while the piano pop of ‘So Long Then’ harks back to the golden era of songwriting.
Single ‘A New Town’ is a standout and the essence of what Field Music is about. The tune is a bopping piece of white boy funk, compete with angular guitars, soothing harmonies and bubbling water effects buried in the production. It’s hard to believe these guys aren’t crazy famous, but they might be just a little too indie for the hipster elite. Either way, this a top-notch album that deserves your attention.
Words by Tobias Handke.
