PLUMB

Field Music is an art rock band from Sunderland UK led by brothers Peter and David Brewis. "Plumb" is their 4th studio album and in contrast to the previous double album, logs in at a sprightly 36 minutes. I've not heard their older work but this album is purported to lean more "progressive" than the others.

Effervescent was the first adjective to pop into mind after hearing the delicious "Plumb." While the band lists influences such as Roxy Music and Talking Heads, their wide-eyed and ambitious sonic palette brought to mind everything from McCartney vignettes to "Pet Sounds" to Bjork's debut to XTC's "Skylarking." The songwriting approach is what sets "Plumb" apart from so many indie rock albums, which follow the formula of sniffing out a great groove and then latching on for several minutes. By contrast the Brewis brothers throw plastic explosives at their notebook of ideas, and what comes at you feels like a festive carnival at night while on some mind enhancing potions. Track development zigs and zags with a bubbly personality making the tracks as unique as they are addicting. They do not follow the typical linear song structures but instead change course almost constantly within tracks so that things are rarely predictable. Lush instrumentation blends with samples, orchestration, sound effects, vivacious vocals, infectious guitar lines and large bass presence. When the melodic payoffs do come about they are rich and easy to digest. Some of my favorite moments sound positively ripped from another generation, classic pop moments with sweeping strings and heartfelt harmonies...classic but not pining retro, as the overall feel remains confidently modern. While there are a few average moments "Plumb" overall is highly diverse and consistent. Though as some have pointed out, that diversity of ideas can sometimes feel rushed leaving good ideas not quite fully examined. This makes the short album much more effective as an album, much less so as single tracks on your personal player.

Despite a couple of unfortunate lyrical choices and a willingness to cross the "too cute for their own good" line in a few places, "Plumb" is a very solid release which will spice up any block of your listening time. Great cover art too. 7/10

"They" say that The Beatles are the most influential band in popular music, and while that would not be much evident in my usual diet of raw black metal and avant-jazz, it may be difficult to deny the influence of a band when groups are still looking to them for guidance. That's not to say that indie rock outfit Field Music are a 'clone', but the echo of Paul McCartney's psych-era melodies was clear to me even upon the first listen of their fourth record, 'Plumb'. Diverse and engaging, Field Music are open season for anyone seeking a forward-thinking take on indie rock.

By the time I was halfway through my first listen, I thought of likening Field Music to a collision of the vocal melodies of the Beatles, the doodling guitars of Yes, and the catchy- yet-complex songwriting of indie contemporaries Arcade Fire. There's also that dreamy quality of Danish prog-poppers Mew... I could go on. Regardless of these comparisons, Field Music do enjoy a comfortable medium between catchy, melody-oriented art and a degree of complexity that keeps the music fresh. 'Plumb' is largely vocal-driven music, but the orchestrations often achieve an impressive level of depth. Although 'Plumb' comes a few decades too late to have the same sense of innovation in pop music as The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's', the depth to the arrangements are comparable on 'Plumb'.

The brothers Brewis are undoubtedly a talented pair, and while they are each tackling multiple instruments on the album, nothing here sounds weak from a performance standpoint. Although I could speak of the pleasantly atmospheric pianos or the 'Sgt. Pepper's'-derived string work throughout the album, the real highlight of Field Music's work here are the vocals. Both brothers lend their voice to the music; one sounding somewhat like Paul McCartney, and the other sounding quite a bit like Win Butler from the Arcade Fire. See where these comparisons are coming from? As pop music goes, I haven't heard too much that appeal to my interests in modern times like Field Music does. Their work is immediate and catchy, yet bolstered with the sort of depth and instrumental variety that it's still maintained my interest. The style may be light on innovation, but when Field Music execute their sound so well, it becomes easy to forgive.