If Tones of Town and the past two "solo" albums from Peter and David Brewis — the principal forces behind Field Music — demonstrate anything about the band, it's that the Sunderland duo won't be content writing pristine indie-pop songs for the rest of its career. Strong doses of rhythmic and melodic experimentation permeate Tones of Town, The Week That Was and Sea From Shore, though most of the explorations err on the side of accessibility; the same can be said of Field Music's new double album, Field Music (Measure).
Still, it's hard to say whether "Let's Write a Book" is an exception to the rule or the new case in point: The song stretches the band's aesthetic to its outer limits, delving further into electronica and funk than any of its predecessors. The digression can be disorienting at first — there's no denying that the hook sounds suspiciously close to the "Underworld" theme from Super Mario Bros. — but the Brewis brothers preserve the poppy, crisp edges to their songwriting, peppering the groove with echoed percussion, wah-wah riffs, and a dizzying, staccato melody on vibes. The overall effect may be a little too busy for the dance floor, but it's an infectious tune all the same; a heady step forward for a band that continues to flex its versatility.
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