Technical College

Sea From Shore
School of Language
Thrill Jockey, 2008
4 stars 3.5 stars

When news surfaced that Field Music were 'taking a break', I'm sure it wasn't just my shoulders that slumped a little. In just two albums (2005's self-titled debut and last year's Tones of Town) the Sunderland three-piece had written, published and catalogued the book on inteligent, summery hook-filled guitar pop, so the short note on the band's website gave about as much consolation as an "it's not you, it's me" on a high school break-up letter. Thankfully, Sea From Shore, the first album from Field Music's singing guitarist David Brewis' School of Language solo project, really picks up where Tones left off. Brewis recorded nearly every sound on this record himself, with members of the Futureheads, and other friends, filling in the gaps. The resulting songs are brilliant, unpredictable and catchy - this is a Field Music album, but with a loose bedroom aesthetic. It will be interesting to see where the other members go with their solo outings, but if this is any indication the signs are good - Field Music are not just dividing, but multiplying too.

Artwork: C+

Published in mX, Thursday April 24, 2008