Field Music – Commontime
- Written by Lee Hammond
Sunderland music scene mainstays Field Music finally return with their fifth studio album, following a lengthy absence working on a variety of other projects including SLUG, Drifters soundtrack, Frozen By Sight and School of Language. Commontime sees the Brewis brothers reconvene in their studio in Sunderland, with a whole batch of new ideas.
There have been contributions, namely from original band member Andrew Moore and Peter’s wife Jenny Brewis. As Commontime opens up though the brilliant ‘The Noisy Days Are Over’ its opening provides some familiarity, yet as the track gets into full swing there are hints of a slightly different direction. Their funky riffs are complemented by a plethora of intriguing sounds, namely a lengthy a sax solo.
As you delve deeper into Commontime, these sounds develop further as they begin to take over whole tracks starting with the urgency of ‘Trouble at the Lights’. There is a much more grandiose feel to the track and whilst it retains the odd recognisable element, it takes everything up a gear with a more cinematic sound.
‘It’s A Good Thing’ shows another change in direction, towards an even funkier sound this funk and disco infused number will surely become a live favourite. It has an insatiable groove, and whilst it has the entire make up of brilliant disco dancefloor filler. Field Music once again adds beautiful string nuances into the mix, again showing off their eclectic flair.
Commontime is perhaps Field Music’s most diverse album yet, from the funky disco grooves of ‘It’s A Good Thing’ to the delicacy and unparalleled beauty of ‘The Morning is Waiting For You’. The latter is perhaps closer to Peter’s work on Frozen By Sight this gracefully orchestrated track, stands out against the excitement that is displayed elsewhere. It provides a calming influence over an otherwise frenetic record.
The album closes out in a much more forceful style with the cacophonous ‘Indeed It Is’ and the excited tones of ‘Same Name’. Commontime is by far Field Music’s most contrasting album, they combine a multitude of sounds to create genre-defying tracks. It is frankly impossible to pin down the Brewis brothers; their incredible knack for funky basslines is undoubted yet they show a completely different and more delicate side on Commontime as well.