Field Club
FIELD CLUB’S MARVELOUS SELF-TITLED LP
Omaha, Nebraska dream-pop outfit Field Club released their self-titled debut album recently. The album was recorded at ARC Studios, engineered and mixed by Benjamin Brodin, and mastered by Carl Saff. Cover art for the album by Alex Kirts.
Field Club
Formed in 2011, the band dropped their debut EP, Bones, in 2012, followed a year later by another EP, Best Friends. Then, for some reason, the band took a four-year hiatus and then regrouped to begin work on their debut album.
Field Club is made up of Andrea Purdy (vocals), sister Kara Purdy (vocals, keyboards), Nathan Soto (drums), Justin Vaughan (keyboards, programming), Paul Jensen (bass), and Reuben Houser (guitar).
Beautifully wrought, the album contains 12-tracks, beginning with “Still On,” which opens on a crunching drum shuffle flowing into a shimmering dream-pop melody flavored with glistening pop-rock aromas. The Purdy sisters’ vocals infuse the lyrics with creamy colors and translucent textures.
The Purdy sisters’ vocals infuse the lyrics with creamy colors and translucent textures.
“Then there you are like a shock through my body / You never fail to make me show my teeth / The only thing I breathe that is healthy for me / It is still on / It is still on.”
Subjectively speaking, entry points include “Christine,” aglow on the suave surfaces of House’s jangly guitar supported by a fat rolling bassline and cool percussion. The Purdys harmonies set the song alight with cashmere coruscations.
“Blue Jay” drifts dreamily on tantalizing protracted guitar tones, languid and bewitching. I love the staggered drums on this track, giving the tune an oblique pulse and expansive scope. “Saint June” might be the best track on the album. Yet because of the prevalence of grand tracks, it’s difficult to choose. The velvety, iridescent flow of the song is both magnetic and strangely beguiling because of its amalgamation of prog-rock savors and new wave dream-pop.
Another excellent track is “Cover Me Up,” along with “Never Satisfied,” featuring a Pink Floyd-like guitar solo, sailing on haunting surfaces.
Field Club – the album and the band – is superb, offering delicious dream-pop balanced with alluring prog-rock flavors and exquisite vocals.
