That adventurousness set the bar fairly high for the follow up. Rather than producing another sprawling multi-disc set Field Music, led by brothers Peter and David Brewis, offer up a compact collection of 15 songs
that barely tops the 30-minute mark. While the press materials that preceded Plumb referred to it as an album that dipped into 20th century film music, ‘from Bernstein to Willy Wonka’, the exploration here is much less overt than on its predecessor.
What they’ve come up with is a nice blend of Brit and art rock with some cinematic and proggy flair thrown in for effect. Opening track "Start the Day Right" is an orchestral kick-start that borrows from the likes of Yes and Paul McCartney of all places, and fits the falsetto vocals of the Brewis brothers nicely. "Guillotine" and "From Hide ad Seek to Heartache" are similarly grand in scope, showcasing the bands songwriting chops and their ability to blend the roots of their sound with new influences. "Just Like Everyone Else" is perhaps the finest of the bunch, a churning rocker that harkens back to the sun and psychedelics of the 60’s
The bone to pick with Plumb is that a more critical eye during the editing process may have yielded a more complete record. Several songs here fit in with the general movie music theme of the album, but that
doesn’t mean they require repeat listens. Short pieces like "It’s OK to Change" and "How Many More Times?" are over so quickly that their inclusion on the finished product is confusing. Especially since many of these songs are so well thought out and executed.
Plumb is, at worst, an intriguing listen. Field Music show that they have a knack for creating dramatic art rock, only when they try to do too much do they falter. When they do succeed it’s a sound that’s fairly
unique among the current crop of UK rockers and a pleasure to hear.
Grade: B-
~Steve Dobek
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