Thanking the evil
The element of revenge, spite and passionate energy pumps adrenaline and blood straight to your brain, telling you to be determined, strong and ready for a fight... The vigour behind the opener blows you off your feet, makes you forget that you're not in a film and certainly eradicates any suspicion of Fields sounding anything like anything else.
It almost makes you want to thank whoever inspired the cautionary lyrics. 'Song for the Fields' and is something every rock/indie band should take notice of. Fields illustrate how simple ingredients can be combined to produce something powerful and infectious.
So where can Fields go from the opening blast of brutality? There is certainly no likelihood of them competing with this killer blow on a similar level, and so the following track takes a different path, slowly building its home of sound by layering patiently. 'Charming the Flames' is a more driven effort that has a more radio quality, but still nonetheless does the trick.
Of course there are trends and that the combination of female and male vocals that battle in a harmony bliss can sometimes seem a little too much and similar to the last track, but this is a small quibble that is anal more than anything else.
Sounds are perfect... acoustic guitars are modest and crisp; the bass takes interesting routes when it can; drums are sound and really do hit the songs home; and most importantly, the guitar knows its place and equally impresses as a result of its modesty. The whole thing leads to something highly enjoyable and rounded, coming from an act that knows what works.