Sit Tight

While critics sing the praises of recent releases from indie powerhouses such as Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, and Modest Mouse, these supposed pundits have overlooked perhaps the most refreshing band to emerge from the genre this year. Field Music, a trio from Sunderland in the UK, have put out an absolutely charming album in the form of Tones of Town released in February of 2007. Without sacrificing originality, the band has managed to create songs that can carry a common theme throughout the entire record. And the band does so with a veritable cornucopia of instruments, making use of strings, the piano, synths, and the obligatory bass, guitar, and drum parts. What makes Field Music's inclusion of this plethora of tools compelling is that nothing stands out on its own. None of these sounds come off as a gimmick to intentionally stray from the pack; they intertwine and come together to take the shape of cohesive, endearing pop songs.

It's always a slightly arduous task to describe a band to individuals unfamiliar with the music but I'll do my best to make it as visually stimulating a simile as possible. Essentially, Field Music sounds like the Beach Boys filtered through post-punk to then be mixed with a sensible dash of britpop into an endless coffee mug of sonic goodness. Was that needlessly verbose enough for you? Anyway, let's take a break from my glorious wordplay and focus on the music itself.

The background vocals on Tones of Town inject a little whimsy (the Beach Boys facet) into every track while the lead vocals are clear, crisp, and deliver the lyrics with great aplomb. While the lyrics aren't anything to fawn over, they cut to the chase and provide listeners with more than decent storytelling. However, it remains clear that the words aren't tantamount to the sonic aspect of the band. Field Music said in a recent interview that they were of the opinion that anything can constitute "pop" music. It's simply a matter of writing stellar catchy songs. And Field Music don't just talk the talk. They deliver the goods by means of their latest which is chock full of intricate, somewhat unconventional pop songs that should all find a way to bypass the wall hipsters have put up in an effort to be cantankerous pricks. If Field Music can serve up more gems in the vein of Tones of Town, we may observe a recalibration of the pop genre in the near future and who knows, they may even convert a few of the more stubborn listeners obsessed with a band's obscurity rather than their work along the way. For the time being, I'm perfectly content playing Tones of Town and patiently waiting for the world to take notice.