Field Music are often unfairly seen as the little bros of The Futureheads. Snotty little geeks that get praise from their more famous geographical siblings, but get little attention outside the North East. Bless them. But now the band have matured and are stepping out from the shadows of the fellow Wearsiders on their fourth album Plumb.
Plumb sees 15 short songs on an album that only lasts 35 minutes. The songs are catchy, but also mad as a box of frogs! It’s like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Love and XTC are running a metaphorical musical relay race – as songs (that only last two minutes) suddenly go off into a new song within a song. Why? Because they can – and they thankfully don’t drop the baton. Once your overworked brain becomes accustomed to all the quirkiness, then it is a very enjoyable album.
The album kicks off with the twinkling piano of Start The Day Right before guitars and the chorus start kicking ass, and prog briefly becomes cool. With a blink of an eye you are listening to the rousing album closer (I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing. Of course, the album is filled with other fun indie-pop. For example, The Futureheads may be envious of A New Town due to the track’s serious indie-dancefloor hit potential. The band also prove that they can “do simple” as From Hide And Seek To Heartache features basic layers of sweet ear-friendly harmonies.
Bands usually find themselves plumbing the depths by the time of a fourth LP – but Field Music look far from becoming predictable and boring. Too quirky for the mainstream? Possibly. But Field Music might not be music’s best kept secret for too much longer.
Words by Peter Warne
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