Fiddlehead Field Day New Music – June ’21
Fiddlehead, Field Day, Heavenly Bodies, and Details Of Eating treat us to new music late May and June. I’m brand new to Fiddlehead and I’ll probably end up loving them. Right now they make me perk up like Scooby Doo and go “errr? ” I am trying to figure out what happened. How did this band manage this LP? Field Day release a song and lyric video. Top notch veterans of hardcore and melody. Philadelphia’s Heavenly Bodies offer more chances to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. Additionally the potential to hurl towards the ground in a chunk of fiery metallic semi wreckage is another option. Listen and find out
Field Day – Invitation – Unity Worldwide Records –
Sense of Place Records
First, we have a new song from Field Day. My favorite melodic hardcore outfit containing two members of Dag Nasty ( Peter Cortner and Doug Carrion).
Continuing in the tradition of Dag Nasty (Can I Say <lyrics > but more of Wig Out <music> feel on this one) A small investment can get you this track https://fielddaysounds.bandcamp.com/track/invitation
Field Day maintains the steady upward and positive momentum they achieved with 2020’s 2.0 and Opposite Land releases. Invitation opens with a slow tempo riff similar to Dag’s ” Fall ” then sprints into a speedier six string run that made me expect to hear “One for all , nothing for one ” from Wig Out’s “Safe”. But No ! Invitation changes course and you are in 2021. Peter’s vocals saying ” It’s not the same” ” seems we lost our way” brings us to Summer 2021. Could this be his take on “Never Go Back” ? Between the parts/changes of Invitation is the richness. It makes the near three minutes fly right by. There is a very short solo. Its melodic and complimentary to the vocals.
Directness and melody are two keys to Field Day.
In particular, this is apparent in Invitation The songwriting is focused and intentional. The breakdown feels like a pit that is energetic and full of skanking. The pit that is fun, but intense. If you ‘fall’ those around you pick you up. As opposed to pits where you feel like it’s possible that you are very likely to get a black eye or worse. Not judging either, all things happen at the right time and place. Field Day is clearly setting intent. Merging the melody into fast hardcore. Another positive job well done.
Fiddlehead – Between The Richness – Run For Cover Records
After the first listen to this LP? Overall impressions? Appropriation from the best 90’s ’emo’ acts. Check it https://fiddleheadma.bandcamp.com/ Holy shit this 2021 ?!? Between The Richness kicks off with “Grief Motif “. This track that is drenched with 90’s emo sadness.
Conversely containing hints of pop rock, to even out any depression that may or may not be present (i’m leaning towards there is a mild depression) The guitars sound crisp yet warm. Praise to the audio engineer who mixed/ mastered. They capture Fiddlehead well. What I enjoy the most about “Grief Motif” the most is it sets up ” The Years” seamlessly. The two songs blend with ease. It’s a cheap trick but it is super effective. This also sets the tone for the whole LP. Additionally Between The Richness is full of 2 minute songs. They are like quick blasts of melodic hardcore. Case in point, ” Eternal You” may capture the attention of the old Jade Tree records fans.
Songs “Joyboy” “Loverman” help me recall the sounds of Sunny Day Real Estate’s ‘Diary’ moods. Fiddlehead wins me over the most with this sound. I would not touch many bands that attempt this with a very long implement . Occasionally I make exceptions, and Fiddlehead fits in there. In other words, I generally don’t resonate with ’emo’ music from all eras after Dischord put it out there.
Fiddlehead somehow reference the bands that happen after Dischord ’emo’ wave and yet mysteriously keep my interest.
At least on 8 out of 10 songs. The cohesiveness of all ten tracks together helps me to not want to skip any parts or songs I may not be in the mood for at any given time. Overall, Between The Richness is one that will hold up through time. It feels like a great record. I’ll wait and see. Support them here https://eu.fiddleheadworld.com/pages/stores
Heavenly Bodies – White Dwarf – Heavily Bodied Records
The Bodies have done it again. This time giving you more of the cosmic vibrations we heard on 2020’s “Obscure, Sad, Terrible EP. Read and listen here for previous Heavenly Bodies material. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/leanie-kaleido/ Self Titled track pulses into existence gradually. Sounds of what may be deep space simulation using traditional (and non traditional?) rock instruments.
A reverse guitar phases in and out over typewriter ish flurries, and intermittent bell part of the cymbals.
This together gives me a feeling of molecules and energy starting to vibrate and amplify. These vibrations starting slowly to generate more energy and build. S/T song ” White Dwarf” is 10:12 and is another track that rewards those who hang in and see where this gradual drone is leading to. I’m thinking it could be an astronomy reference to how these stars are born. I don’t know for sure and that mystery is where I find the intrigue.
At around 7:40 the energy shifts and I get the feeling that the instruments are creating momentum. The ‘ ‘ ‘gases ‘ swirl and reach a critical mass. Rather than “die” or supernova back to source, the music fades as if yo say the creative act is complete. It is a sublte gradual process. I usually like a track that builds to crash or explode but in this case I appreciate the subtlety. Secondly it sets up “The Breeze”
Ambient beauty that I find hard to achieve with my effect pedal arsenal, Heavenly Bodies seem to achieve with little effort.
That is not to say the process was easy for them or any one member. The gist is whatever it took to bring “The Breeze” into reality, the end result gives a feeling of ease and flow. Next is “Triangle” a hulking ominous counterpoint. “Triangle” aggressively overtakes all in its path. Much like the band OM, Triangle is heavy, and has a metal aggression without the need to have your favorite distortion pedal for guitar cranked to the max. It’s heavy and rhythmic and just as bludgeoning as “extreme ” metal. Triangle goes there without having to have a formulaic guitar riff and breakdown. Heavenly Bodies are consciously aware of what they play vs. what notes are not playing. That is to say , they mind the rests and tempo between ‘hits’
Lastly, ” A View To A Beauty Of Form” sounds like it has the most guitar work of all four tracks. Clocking in at 18:18 this is a behemoth and I love the courage of any band who can play songs well over 5 minutes. This is bold in itself because many don’t give a device to pay attention longer than a few minutes. ” A View To A Beauty Of Form” like s/t “White Dwarf” starts with small molecules and energies that phase into existence ever so gradually. The matter and energy generated by Heavenly Bodies pulses and amplifies over the clusters of seconds. As a result by 4 minutes in I hear an ominous beat foreshadowing greater momentum.
Cymbals accentuate each ‘ orbit ‘ of the riff that carries on through void.
By this time I am definitely getting antsy and my brain is trying to figure out where in space we’re heading. Around 8 minutes in the one riff which sounds bass driven is joined with what could several additional supporting comet like treble guitars. Each of the Bodies find their groove and the drums become more pronounced.
At 12 minutes the riff takes on a call and response feel as if its playing off the synergy of its other parts. I’ve heard these notes in other songs, just not played 3/4 the way through and with this level of commitment to drone. By now the cymbals and drums are firing off and there is less space between beats, fills , and crashes. ” A View To A Beauty Of Form” culminates when the drums drop out and the feedback streaks and wails in. The cymbals accentuate the drone and the act that is this song seems nearly complete. ” A View To A Beauty Of Form” ends with a low growling feedback as if a beast has been roused from slumber.
This album is great listened in its entirety. The tracks can stand on their own but they seem more dramatic and epic listened to in its full order. I’d be hot pissed excited to see “White Dwarf” performed straight through. I reckon “White Dwarf” will be a space rock classic that can earn its place with others who have come before. Get on it and ride.
Details Of Eating – Verrine – Single
Fans of Sarah Records artists may want to check this single out. It just so happens the vocals remind me of St. Chistopher, The Orchids, and maybe a few others from the infamous defunct record label, a touch or a skoach. Additionally, Eric, on vocals sings for another band I recently covered called Health and Rifle Club. Read of them here https://meatsheetfanzine.com/new-colonial-wound-health-rifle-club-lazer-beam/
Verrine is shimmery dream pop with the dream sleep ratio turned up to nearly as high as you can go.
Approaching delta wave state, only to be bested by ambient instrumental stuff like Slowdive’s Pygmalion and their instrumental demos. Details of Eating is just beneath that in the sense you hear the instruments for what they are. They do blend well , but it is not full blown unintelligible drug state floating on clouds ambience. There is enough gaze for the many in Verrine. Guest vocals by Krista Lane add extra layer of dream pop effervescence. I also recommend this to fans of Ian Broudie AKA Lightning Seeds, maybe Cocteau Twins. Listen here https://music.amazon.in/albums/B095L5JFZ3
Fiddlehead , Field Day, Details of Eating, and Heavenly Bodies are all different ways to start summer off the right way. If you think you are not bored by my ramblings over music minutia and want a single, EP , or LP reviewed get in touch. Also stop by the shop on here. Any purchases will go towards helping fund my latest printed issue Meat Sheet # 7. Ad space is available. Talk to you soon. Peas.