The Brewis brothers have, very sensibly, not tried to follow on from 2012’s “Plumb”, an impeccably conceived and sequenced album that plays more like a suite than a pop/rock LP. Like many intelligent musicians do, they’ve moved on to different things and sought to avoid repeating themselves. “Commontime” sees a much funkier approach with deep cuts, long jams – and their love of Prince coming to the fore. Some classy pop and a wider selection of contributions from other musicians (including Peter’s wife, Jenny Brewis – a family affair indeed) chart their continued development and evolution as writers.

Lead single and album opener, “Noisy Days Are Over” sets the template – and the bar high. It’s very accessible pop with a funky groove and intricate cowbells, packed with layered details, yet with a sense of space. The seamless intermingling of the brothers’ voices is pure alchemy and the widened range of vocals has a playfulness that sits well with the tone of the song, a tongue-in-cheek musing on growing up:

The noisy days are over and here we are instead / Why don’t you get to bed like everybody else?

At 6 minutes in length, it is so full of character (the “Sign ’O’ The Times” era Prince saxophones are a real highlight) that there’s no danger of it outstaying its welcome. It’s actually over before you know.

There are other funky highs present in “Don’t You Want To Know?“, a cheeky shuffle full of finger-lickin’ bass and snappy snare work. There’s a wonderful live feel to the track, capturing the magic of performance and giving it a celebratory feel. Closer “Stay Awake” is bright and breezy, full of elegant interplay and unexpected asides with a flawless vocal. Much like a lot of the subject matter on the album, it deals with the trials and tribulations of being in a relationship:

You don’t need to worry about me / Not since you taught me to talk it all through. Who knew?

Maybe I need just an hour of sleep and you need that, too?

The lightness of touch often belies some very solid material on “Commontime”, and with songs like “Disappointed” and “They Want You To Remember”, there’s a nice squeeze of Squeeze over the top. “It’s A Good Thing” provides a real ‘80s hue, too – in the spirit of Talk Talk with Prince-inspired boy/girl vocals boasting a variety and range of voices. Its seemingly plain chorus is sneakily catchy, too – it’s crafty in every sense.

“The Morning Is Waiting For You” and “Trouble At The Lights” point towards an ever-increasing confidence and maturity. Whereas (penultimate album) “Plumb” had the bombastic opus “Start The Day Right”, “The Morning Is Waiting For You” could easily cover similar ground but remains understated, and its sumptuous horns are reined in to let the song breathe. “Trouble At The Lights” is also held back, but there is more push-and-pull present, and when it does open out, it’s with full-on Queen operatic harmony and a dark, pounding outro.

At 14 songs and a running time of just under an hour, it is a fairly long album, and I do wonder if all of the tracks are essential. Still, it feels slightly ungrateful to complain about being given too much material by Field Music – it’s a bit like bemoaning having too many sunny days in summer. However, it’s like they’ve released a good, long album as opposed to a short, sharp classic. Whereas that might feel like a bit of a downer, I’ll leave you with an oft used sporting phrase which seems entirely appropriate – “Form is temporary. Class is permanent.” Field Music will be back with yet more brilliant music; of that there is no doubt.

Adam Atkins

Website: field-music.co.uk
FacebooK: facebook.com/fieldmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/fieldmusicmusic