Making A New World
[Memphis Industries-2020]
It seems par for the course, a mere two days before the end of the year, to stumble upon an album that its creators deemed “accidental” and was released within the first 10 days of 2020. But a curiosity for the band’s current status was the catalyst and so…well, that’s the kind of year it’s been.
Inspired by World War I and how its consequences affect history in diverse ways a century later, the music for Field Music’s seventh album was originally commissioned for a museum exhibit, hence the “accidental” aspect of it. And while their angular art pop (think of XTC circa Black Sea recording Apple Venus) is still present, the necessity of expressing the range of the source material means this collection of tunes expands their sound into other musical realms and might not be the best introduction to this band. (It can seem at times more like a soundtrack and less like an album.)
But it’s a satisfying listen, regardless.
