主播大秀

With a steady stream of people making their way into the venue, Dublin鈥檚 get things underway, having played Belfast a number of times over the last decade. Over several masterfully erratic songs, the three-piece鈥檚 unorthodox guitar-pop melds Sebadoh, Polvo and the Minutemen to reveal a band still with very few rivals in this country for playing such jaw-droppingly defined noise-pop.

Having happily set up beforehand themselves, Field Music 鈥� with its core members, brothers David and Peter Brewis 鈥� start into 鈥楽tart The Day Right鈥�, the first song from their latest album, Plumb. A swift segue into the skilfully inspired prog of 鈥業t鈥檚 Okay To Change鈥� and the slightly vaudevillian approach of 鈥楽orry Again, Mate鈥� sees glorious dual harmonies, veering melodic interludes and characteristically suburban English ruminations from Peter on keys.

The crowd are immediately smitten; a small group of Field Music鈥檚 Belfast faithful congregating near the front of the stage. With ovation in the air, Peter switches on drums, and David onto guitar, the former proving an equal force on 'Rockist Part 4' from David鈥檚 2008 album as School Of Language, Sea From Shore. With a burgeoning groove evoking a more sentimental revision of Zeppelin鈥檚 鈥楾he Rover鈥�, it stands out as a highlight early on from the band. The perfect pop continues on the fantastically fidgety 鈥楽horter Shorter鈥� from their 2005 debut album, all four members singing in choral unison at its outro.

It鈥檚 at this point David announces, 鈥淗ow lovely it is to play Belfast again鈥� - having last the Black Box as part of School of Language in September 2008 - before 鈥楾his Is The Picture鈥� rears its head. Primarily thanks to David's stuttering guitar playing and falsetto vocals, the song鈥檚 psych-pop equally evokes Of Montreal鈥檚 kaleidoscopic pop and Flaming Lips circa At War With The Mystics. We are then treated to the pointed groove of 鈥業n Context鈥� from the band鈥檚 2007 second album Tones of Town - the second time they鈥檝e played it since 2006 鈥� on-the-ball bassist Ian Black once again proving his note-perfect prowess.

While the yearning of 'From Hide and Seek To Heartache' - played only once before - proves the most affecting number tonight, it鈥檚 closer 鈥�(I Keep Thinking) About A New Thing鈥� with its distillation of the band鈥檚 keen sense of melody, eccentricity and musicianship that stands out most in the end. A final encore of their Record Store Day song, a cover of Pet Shop Boys鈥� 鈥楬eart鈥� (what else?) and the Paul McCartney-esque 鈥楢 House Is Not A 主播大秀鈥� concludes the band鈥檚 set to a huge ovation. Field Music鈥檚 command of prog-pop has very few comparisons and tonight we鈥檝e witnessed an intimate, criminally underattended display of their exquisite talents.

Brian Coney

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