Field Music

Nm, found it on Luisterpaal.

Ah, Field Music. I thought the first album had its moments, especially 'It's Not The Only Way To Feel Happy', 'If Only The Moon Were Up', 'You're So Pretty...', 'Pieces' and 'You Can Decide', but for me Tones Of Town is the one they haven't beaten yet, to my mind. It's so small and compact you can listen to it in one sitting and it just breezes by, however the attention to detail in it is quite something. I like how they record/produce a lot of this stuff themselves, although you can definitely tell that their tracks aren't really honed through live performances and have been painstakingly crafted from bottom to top in the studio. They're truly a band that rely on themselves almost completely, which I like.

I wasn't too taken with Measure on the whole... I thought it had some great ideas, but I don't think that they really had it in them to make a record of that length at this stage in their career. I've been reliably informed that Plumb has more in common with Tones Of Town than any of their other records, so even though I haven't heard it yet I'm very much looking forward to it.

One of the best things for me about Field Music being a local band is that I pass by the cafe from the front cover of Tones Of Town quite regularly.

measure def my least favourite though it's not crap by any means. the newie is v enjoyable but for me feels like it's missing what made the first two albums so easy to love

Bought TOT and ordered Measure.

Yeah I agree with the TOT > all else sentiment, that thing should have been way more acclaimed - it's pretty much perfect. I've listened to the new one a few timesbut it's yet to fully sink in. Very endearing interviewees, it would seem.

and yeah School of Language / The Week That Was records are essential listens if you're into the FM stuff.

Never did hear the School of Language record, but The Week That Was was pretty good.

Really love the new one, as of right now I'd probably rank them:
TOT > Plumb > S/T > Measure

Measure still strikes me as a standard Field Music record, only with every single track from the session thrown in, rather than the band cherrypicking the best material.

Yeah Measure has its moments, but its far too scattered and overlong. The beauty of TOT and the new one is how concise they are.

As Simon says, I'd definitely check out the School Of Language and The Week That Was records, although I think The Week That Was is probably more my cup of tea than School Of Language.

http://sickmouthy.com/2012/03/31/field-music-plumb/

Great write-up Nick. It's pretty much my own album of the year so far too, and you do it justice. I've been driven away from the album format by my listening habits of late so it's wonderful to find a band that still believes in the medium enough to create something that can ONLY be heard in one glorious sweep. While not as overwhelming as Measure (which is probably still my favourite, just about), this is more concise, intricate and arguably sublime.

One of the most important British bands of the day. I wish they were more central to the indie discourse.

yeah nice job nick.

it took me a long time to get into this for some reason. i think the weird halting start over the first 3 tracks didn't help. but since it clicked i have liked it more and more with every listen, i think maybe even more than measure now. really amazing stuff. it's my current default listen when i haven't got anything particular in mind to put on.

interesting about the single choices, not surprising necessarily but not what i would've guessed. is this the picture seems like a more obvious single?

Huh this band is perplexing in a good way. Never heard of them. Checked the new album out...interesting, definitely hear the XTC influence, that was the first thing I thought of, like mid period XTC but more prog.....tbh though some of the prog moves are a little corny, or fusion....reminds me of Brand X

But this is cool I think it will grow on me...also appreciate how completely unfashionable it is, like they are completely on their own trip....can't imagine NME is exactly breaking down their door

@sickmouthy Nick, thanks! That's so kind. You've pretty much nailed how I hope people will hear the record. It means a lot so again thanks!
2 hours ago

That was from @fieldmusicmusic, which is the younger brother: very nice to know they appreciated my appreciation!

Liked that review too!

Autumn tour dates on the website.

http://www.field-music.co.uk/

Will try and make it to Bath.

Bath tickets bought.

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/field-music-plumb-round-27-nicks-choice/

I guess I'm kind of surprised you didn't fall for Tones of Town at the time.

I simply didn't hear it until a couple of months ago. They fell totally off my radar.

That's fair enough, I guess. This band have never seemed like the kind of band who would want to force themselves on anyone's radar. They're just kind of there, waiting for people to discover them.

I decided to give this a go but it's leaving me really cold. There are nice touches here and there but a lot of it is really laboured-sounding, like they've gone for this second-half-of-Abbey-Road vibe (which I'm not crazy about in the first place) but they're not good enough songwriters to pull it off.

Didn't get to see them in Bath last night because of our interminable house problems. Gutted. Listening to Measure as some kind of recompense. It's really very good. I just love the sound they make.

Still haven't got round to "Plumb" yet, though I loved "Measure". Should investigate their back catalogue too. I've heard good things about their covers album as well, I love the song choices.

plumb is very good, almost full-blown prog-pop, which might or might not reflect the selections on their recent covers collection, play. they're reminding me more and more of XTC at their best

Having loved everything prior, I'm finding myself at a loss being able to get into Plumb. I'm not hearing any hooks at all. Measure wasn't as hooky as what came before it either, but it was so (comparatively) muscular and riffy it made up for it.

Oh man, I love Plumb. Everything else is good, but this is next level. Amazing.

plumb is really strange in that it doesn't seem to have any appreciable hooks but when i came back to it after not listening for several months, i immediately remembered every song and how it went

Yeah, every twist of every song is burned right into my cerebellum somehow. I think the way it's arranged and mixed makes for a lot of sonic fills and details which work as hooks. They're oblique hooks, which is, I think, what's made it so eminently replay ale for me - I never, ever feel as if I've burnt out on it or got too familiar with it.

I just learned that Michael McKean is a Field Music fan. Who knew?

("In Context," from Tones of Town, is in the trailer for Christopher Guest's new HBO show, which features McKean.)

New School of Language album is excellent, huge improvement from the debut.

https://soundcloud.com/memphisindustries/field-music-the-noisy-days-are-over-single-version/s-mFgkR

New single. It's awesome. Brass! New album due early next year (Feb) and tour in March.

cool!

was relistening to Measure recently - it's soooo good

Commontime is a really interesting record - so much going on, but in a looser way than on the meticulously edited Plumb. Pretty easily their grooviest album, but with plenty of odd twists as well.

I like these guys groovy. Really looking forward to this based on "Noisy Days."

Really digging Disappointed.

really, really liking this

feels like they've recaptured the spirit of Measure

anyone seem them live? they're coming to town next month .

gf says "seriously very very good, so tight" but that was in 2010

here's the streeeeam http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/feb/01/listen-to-field-music-new-album-pre-prelease-commontime-exclusive-album-stream

I am looking forward to seeing them live in Exeter at last.

Haven't heard this yet, but Tones of Town is the one to beat, for me at least.

love their last few records, excited for this

not ashamed to say it was the Steely Dan reference in the pfork article that made me listen. that said, tones of town is terrific in ways I wasn't expecting

i don't think they sound like steely dan at all! have heard XTC comparisons too which are closer but still not quite on the nose

The opener of the new LP is Steely Dan-tastic, IMO.

listening to this now, and it seems more Steely Dan than XTC, and parts of it are Hall and Oates-ish. XTC aren't this laid back even when they play soft songs.

They were great opening for The Clientele in 2010. As polished as the records.