Field Music

If you were as unforgivably stupid as I was however, you'll miss out on one of the very few genuinely interesting bands left in this country. Field music are effortlessly charming, sensitive and intellegent if not always coherent.

The only real problem I have with the album is they suffer from the same lyrical vagueness that plagues most North Eastern bands like The Futureheads and Maximo Park, verses often bumble along in a clumsy manner with no real direction, as far as words go that is. It's just a slight shame when everything else is so good and to be fair its nice not to hear songs about going out on Friday night and drinking and having a fight or something.

Musically they know exactly where they're going. Field music thankfully ignore all the John Lennon influences so beloved by Britpop and instead take more from John's much maligned, animal loving, thumb's upping writing partner. No not Yoko. All the parts of the Beatles that everyone ignored 'cause they weren't cool are revived with twinges of the aforementioned Futureheads and a general post punkiness.

The use of strings is really impressive since they manage to avoid sounding 'epic' or 'like embrace'... ie pathetic and emasculated. Stand out tracks include 17, Pieces and the final track 'You're so Pretty' which is frankly amazing...

BUY!


Ambitious unadulterated musical genius   February 19, 2006
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

They're mates with Maximo Park, The Futureheads and The Golden Virgins so if you're a fan of those bands read on, but Sunderland's Field Music don't sound like anybody but themselves.

Imagine the Gang Of Four trapped in an elevator with The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney's Wings, Prefab Sprout and Wire. Then extrapolate.

But beware, this isn't an album that you're going to fall in love with on first play. It's ambitious, jagged and sometimes disconcertingly complicated. Instead you'll have to live with it for a bit, keep listening and then you'll find out why everyone who's anyone is raving about this being one of the albums of 2005. It's beautiful, brilliant and blisteringly inspired.

But - hey! - don't take my word for it. Take a chance, buy it and I guarantee that within a dozen plays, you'll believe that Sunderland has suddenly become the centre of the musical universe.


Getting a feel for field music   September 4, 2005
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I got this album on a whim and just can't stop playing it now. At first found the change between the two different styles reflected in the songs a little hard to get used to but now it seems like one whole and is now my favourite album for a long time - pretty but really clever melodies, and the Geordie accents that come through just add to the whole effect of sung poetry.


Accomplised, ambitious and inventive - a bright future ahead   August 20, 2005
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Really don't know what the previous reviewer of this album is on about. Going by the fact he likes Kubb though, it's not surprising...
Field Music wear their influences on the sleeve and the songs are varied and pretty timeless. However, they show enough invention within their make-up that they don't come across as MOR in any way.
Much of the album would appeal to fans of Elbow, Super Furry Animals, The Magic Numbers and Badly Drawn Boy amongst others. Some songs (like the debut single 'Shorter Shorter') are even reminiscent of ELO.
Plenty of the album is radio friendly enough to give them mainstream appeal and clearly from the production values they understand how to build an attractive sound. Sometimes the melodies are warm and gentle whilst at other times it has that oh so fashionable angular thing going on.
All in all a good debut effort and definitely worth keeping an eye on them in the future.