Field Music

Field Music (Measure)

Memphis Industries

February 16

By Matt Kiernan

British indie-pop artists Field Music’s third album, Field Music (Measure), blends indie rock and pop to create a lengthy album that can at moments be gritty and other times clean in their recordings.

Out of all the indie-pop bands of the 2000s, Field Music are seen as a band that can crossover genres with ease and give pleasant surprises with each new release. Measure does this again with twenty tracks of indie rock guitar playing, supported by the lead singer’s vocals that are comparable to Shins lead singer James Mercer.

Title track “Measure” is filled with violins and classical instruments that are played with precision and carefully sung harmonies.

“Effortlessly” features a tight indie rock guitar riff with the singer singing, “So ask me again how my reply could be unchanged.” The track features Beatles harmonies that are common with Field Music songs, with the band drawing upon the Beatles’ later psychedelic albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

“All You’d Ever Need to Say” is a track that sounds clearly planned out by the band, but holds an unconventional progression throughout, hardly containing a specific guitar riff besides one that lies in the background. The track ends with the tapping of cowbells and a smooth bass line.

The band’s main genres may lie in the areas of indie rock and pop, but that doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to look into different fields to write their songs. “Let’s Write a Book” falls into the genres of funk and electronica, with pounding basses and high pitched vocals.

“You and I” is a spacey track that uses the band’s harmonies to the fullest, leaving room for whammy guitar notes and drums.

Field Music has done it again with their newest release, keeping their own version of music without pushing themselves into a corner.