Field Music/ Measure

Field Music
Measure
(Memphis Industries)

I’m instinctively suspicious of double albums, with the memory of a 15-year old me crying over Led Zep’s Physical Graffiti still bitterly fresh. Yet Field Music appear to be that rare thing, a band with the petrol in their pump to sustain interest over twenty tracks – just about.
Led as ever by the brothers Dosdale and Black, this new album draws on diverse influences (Bowie, The Who, Prince and… well, about twenty others) but the results are as easy to understand as ABC; this is a band in love with melodies first and foremost.
So we get carefree space-funk (‘Each Time Is A New Time’) twinkling midnight grooves (‘Lights Up), theatrical prog-rock (‘Rest Is Noise’) and basically everything in between. The striking thing however, is how simple the music is: each song is focused, structured and devoid of clutter.
The idea of such a massive album might not make for the most appetising dinner invitation, but take heed; Field Music’s latest makes for a quality dish.

Cindy Suzuki