Field Music: Plumb (Shock)

Having been spectacularly underwhelmed by the much acclaimed previous albums by this British band doesn't mean I don't come to another hoping for the best.

But the best here has always be the property of their predecssors and it would only be the most short-concentration span -- or 15-year old -- reviewer who didn't start ticking off the accumulation of source material (Beatles and Beach Boys in '66, XTC's literate pop, sub-Prince funk given the Anglo-spin, job lots of prog from Genesis among others).

When they aim for "fun" they come off well short of properly outre acts like MGMT, Empire of the Sun and early Of Montreal. Oh, and Choosing Sides is Led Zepp rendered like a very gay edition (and perhaps allegedy ironic) of Split Enz, all fey surface no substance.

And it speaks volumes very little here can sustain itself beyond the few-minute mark.

I think it enormously awful, boring (even in its short bits), pretentious and self-satisfied.

I predict it will be much favoured by others.

The posted audio track here starts Beatles 65 + Enz + MGMT + . . .

Oh, you get the picture.

What plonkers.

Looking for something similar but actually a whole lot better? You could do worse than start . . . anywhere else I guess, but start with the intralinks.