A Little Reticent

 

Field Music - Commontime [MI 0387LPX UK 2016 24-Bit FLAC]

Ripped from nicely mastered double orange vinyl (note to self - add Memphis Industries to the short list of labels who take care with modern mastering), here is the fabulous Field Music at their very best. This album takes pop, soul, prog, funk & rock and blends them all together into 14 tracks of very unique 'Sunderland Soul'. 

As I mentioned when I ripped their debut a few weeks back, Field Music caught the ear of the late Purple One who championed their The Noisy Days Are Over single on social media. Many were to compare the brother's vocal harmony style to Hall & Oates - Field Music were not shy to confess this influence in the press at the time of release. There is much more to enjoy here than anything influenced by the aging US soul-rockers, Disappointed is a gorgeously catchy & ironic love song, the complex I'm Glad and Trouble At The Lights are proggy but in a good way, Steely Dan would have been proud of Don't You Want To Know What's Wrong? and They Want You To Remember. 

It's A Good Thing is slick and funky with soulful harmonies, The Morning Is Waiting has an air of Lennon & McCartney about it, That's Close Enough For Now follows in the same vein before it breaks into a wonderful complex arrangement complete with strings and flanged rock guitar solo. Same Name blends Talking Heads and Hall & Oates again! I don't think you'll find a better closer than the soulful Stay Awake on any album in the last ten years. I don't think there has been a more productive & creative band who are unashamed to share such a wide field of influences, in the last twenty years. You may have gathered that I really quite like this album.

A1 The Noisy Days Are Over
A2 Disappointed
A3 But Not For You
B1 I'm Glad
B2 Don't You Want To Know What's Wrong?
B3 How Should I Know If You've Changed?
B4 Trouble At The Lights
C1 They Want You To Remember
C2 It's A Good Thing
C3 The Morning Is Waiting
D1 Indeed It Is
D2 That's Close Enough For Now
D3 Same Name
D4 Stay Awake