Soundbite: Field Music

Field Music

“Tones of Town”

Memphis Industries

Call it post-post-punk. In the wake of second-generation bands
such as Bloc Party and Interpol, there’s been renewed
interest in post-punk’s founding fathers: Gang of Four,
Mission of Burma and Wire, who have all recently either made
comebacks or at least reissued classic albums. But rather than skew
harder or more aggressively in response, some bands of
post-punk’s new wave have turned to melody.

Field Music’s sophomore album, “Tones of
Town,” builds on the wiry foundation of last year’s
self-titled debut, adding chunkier guitars and fleshed-out
production to jittery chord changes and pop melodies.
“Kingston” is downright pretty, opening with a piano
flourish and a string section. It’s a shy preface for
“Working to Work,” a jubilant-sounding working-class
ode, and the anthem of “In Context,” a more angular
track that builds to a fist-pumping chorus. “She Can Do What
She Wants” is a stirring finale, pitting syncopated guitar
lines against a placid string section before giving into the fury
of distorted guitars.

The band has retained the complex rhythmic intensity and
puzzle-piece guitar work that characterized its debut. Still,
expanding the sound and paying equal attention to songwriting is a
smart decision for a group with talent to burn. Before, Field
Music’s sound was all nooks and crannies; now, the songs hit
with smart hooks that dig in deep. It’s a guitar-pop record,
if a sharp, precise one.

With this in mind, “Tones of Town” might share more
with Oasis and Blur than it does with Mission of Burma. If
you’re not so keen on radio-ready U.K. exports such as
Coldplay and Snow Patrol, Field Music might be the post-Britpop
you’ve been looking for.

E-mail Greenwald at dgreenwald@media.ucla.edu.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *