Album: Fields

Fields are the latest British nu-folk exponents to deliver their debut, although there's a transatlantic polish to the album which would be frowned upon by traditionalists. Indeed, a mere minute or two of acoustic strumming into the opening "Song for the Fields", the sudden arrival of full-blown power chords belies their folkie status, nudging them closer to the post-Cure branch of indie-rock. Elsewhere, the mellotron, woodwind and organ of "You Don't Need This Song" brings to mind the milder end of Seventies prog-rock, while "Feathers", with its densely-layered instrumentation, sombre harmonies and hints of traditional rituals more closely recalls Low or Espers than any of their British peers. Dark themes of uncertainty, ageing and death shroud the album, with songs such as "You Brought This on Yourself" and "If You Fail We All Fail" dealing with youthful insecurity, and "Skulls And Flesh And More" and "The Death" tackling the Grim Reaper head-on - though it's a measure of Fields' intrinsic appeal that they negotiate such matters with an engaging charm and enthusiasm.

DOWNLOAD THIS: 'Song for the Fields', 'You Don't Need This Song', 'Feathers', 'Charming the Flames'