Field Music's Tones of Town was a wonderful blast of XTC-styled pop, and it established the British band as a young, hip group. Sadly, not long after the album's release, the band went on hiatus. I can't tell you if the band is dormant or if the "hiatus" is just the typical euphemism for "broken up," but I do know that leader David Brewis' solo project, School of Language, is a worthy endeavor. To be honest, the music on Sea From Shore is not radically different from Field Music, save for a sound that is rougher and rawer; it's also practically a one-man project, though it never suffers for it.

The songs range from the familiar herky-jerky Field Music style, as heard on the wonderful "Disappointment '99" and "Poor Boy." Brewis does get mellow, though, on "This is No Fun" and "Keep Your Water." As I think about it, at times those songs remind me of the vintage work of his label-mate Bobby Conn. What I'm most fond of the four-part "Rockist." It's hard to call it four different songs; instead, it sounds more like a demonstration on how a song is made. Parts one through three contain different elements, and are different lengths. "Rockist Part Four" is the finished product, and though some might find this annoying--initially I wondered about where he was going with this, until I heard the final track, and I realized that the song merely combines elements of the previous three parts, while offering a variation of a theme. It sounds really good, too. Hell, the whole record is a pleasure.

Can't tell you if there will be a new Field Music record, but I do know that the legacy and the talent of the band will live on. Sea From Shore is a quiet, unassuming little jewel of a record, and worth checking out.

Listen To: Disappointment '99

Sea From Shore is available now on Thrill Jockey

posted by joseph kyle @ 1:22 PM

1 Comments:

At March 26, 2008 at 4:14 PM, Anonymous said…

I LOVE Field Music -- thanks for this