More About Suncharms and Field Day
Three EPs to consider. Covering the SunCharms once more. Indie pop from Sheffield. If you like the defunct Sarah Records bands, this is essential.
Favoritism for the bands I cover, most times yes. Additionally the squeakiest wheel gets the grease at MeatSheetFanzine. So reach out, comment, share, trade, engage. That is if you have something that fits the content of my blog or zine. I get scam and bot email and commentary all the time that have zero relevance. It’s not music, cat, or music gear related. No cheap laughs. Just phony bot spam.
Also latest from Field Day. Had to have a listen to their latest 7″ Why? Simply need to hear what they are doing. Last is Spy. Some of the heaviest hardcore I’ve heard as of the last few months or weeks.
All three of these EP releases bring their own brand of resilience and welcome new year energy. Let’s Go!
Field Day – Why ? – Unity Worldwide Records / Sense of Place Records
Field Day, maintaining a steady work ethic, release Why? 7 “. For the vinyl people there are color variants. If you’re collector minded, then treat this like Pokemon. You gotta catch em all. Let’s get into this new single. But before that let me say Field Day appear on this blog and in my latest issue MeatSheet Fanzine #7.
Onto the songs. Lend me your ears https://fielddaysounds.bandcamp.com/album/why
Read the review of Field Day 2.0 which is the first new material from them that is not from Wig Out / Field Day LP timeshttps://meatsheetfanzine.com/field-day-2-0-unity-world-wide-records-punk/
Overall what leaps out to me on this single is Field Day is getting tighter and seasoned.
The other singles by Field Day are not slackers. You can hear the enthusiasm and vigor of being back making music they love. However Why? finds them really locking in the sound. It seems like all four members are cohesively fine tuning the music and message. The short version? Focused, fun, and marinated in punk and hardcore roots.
In tone, vocals, and rhythmically. The guitar and bass tones are still Wig Out in nature. Guitarist Shay Mehrdad still sounds like Brian Baker.
But on each single or EP I hear, Shay seems to be gravitating into a new tonal territory. It is very akin to Can I Say / Wig Out, but slightly pivoting away from Baker’s sound. For me it was uber subtle.
The pick scrape on this platter are what the youth crew ’88 wannabees would drool over. Perfect scrape technique. Kevin Avery on drums is nailing the time keeping as per usual. Solid, consistent, and just the right kind of hits to inform the energetic aura of Field Day. Peter Cortner’s lyrics are growing in profundity. There’s a direct message at times on Why? lyrically. There is also an underlying intelligence as well. It requires attention , reading and thinking. Primarily on s/t track but really on all three songs.
Cortner asks “How did you get so disconnected?” (Direct question to contemplate) A mature lyric that supersedes hardcore kids asking why they broke edge. A more grown up reflection but relevant.
Doug Carrion’s bass is perfectly complimentary to Avery’s varied beats and Shay’s riffs. Experience matters. If you listened to 2.0 , Invitation, Opposite Land EP from these guys. The growth is obvious. I think to myself , if they have this single and its this tight.. Holy Shit ! Where are they going to go next ?
I am hoping to hear an echo or callback to Field Day LP (Giant / Dutch India East ). The subtle tonal changes and precise tightness of playing keeps me coming back. It’s very early Dag Nasty.
A few more talking points. Audience of One has some real tasty vocal and guitar harmony that shifts to an old school Can I Say like mosh breakdown. It’s melodic enough for the Fat Wreckords crowd and hard enough for fans of the more pure DC hardcore sound.
Are the perceived changes the intent and growth of the band? Is it studio wizardry ? Maybe a little of both? Either way, I tried to find something objectionable with Why? but it flies by fast and is just smooth. The energy of the songs is vibrant and made me want to circle pit.
I’d love to hear them throw a curveball song into the future. A 2022 version of Never Green Lane, Ambulance Song, Touma, or La Penita? It wouldn’t have to be the energy of those tracks listed. I’m using those as examples as songs that really made the departure from the Wig Out sound. I’d love that or a complete deviation of what they have done. Alas it is no slight to them if they just keep up this streamlined, updated version of Dag or continue on this path.
Suncharms – Distant Lights EP – Sunday Records
This is the perfect companion to the previous release of the same name in LP format. Three songs. Self titled Distant Lights LP version, a single remix of same song and a song you cannot get on LP called Telescopes.
Distant Lights and its remix slowly emerge from silence and begin swaying guitar sounds. The remix offers a longer tension build and release. Trem arms of the instrument’s providing the sway. The beginning of this track is blurry, but powerful. When Suncharms open up the chorus it gets wider and clear in tone.
Let’s dig into the track Telescope. It feels like you’re pining over lost love by the sea. Hurtful but hopeful. Or maybe it’s the uncertainty over new love. Guitar melody runs that remind me of the Johnny Marr on Please Let me Get What I Want. If I were a playlist guy this would be perfect slower pop number to add. Call it Seagaze. Bandcamp Friday is coming right up so if this strikes the fancy, please order up. https://sundayrecords.bandcamp.com/track/telescope
Spy – Habitual Offender –
This is a 2021 release from October. First track Afraid Of Everything starts with feedback Screeeee and quickly gets heavy.
Both Afraid Of Everything and second track Obtained Under Duress are direct, under two minutes and get right into tempo changes from heavy mosh to fast.
The recording is raw but not unprofessional. It seems like the person who recorded this captured Spy’s essence and tone very well.
Lyrics seems are thematic and taking shots at our dumbed down American populace and the power structure that feeds them. Meatsheet like to keep it like the Big Boys and tries to be Apolitical. Spy’s lyrical content may have political charges and electric shocks running through it but an apolitical or extremist can both agree on the music methinks.
Next is Exceptional American . Creepy crawly bass and drum intro with more heaviness. Tempo changes that only get as fast medium paced. Therefore this one may be the heaviest or tied with Negative Mind Power for thee heaviest.
Habitual Offender is faster than the title track and targeting the elites, power structure , and those who seem to be repeatedly crooked. Again I defer to staying apolitical. But maybe Spy is onto something ? Moving on.
Labor Dispute is probably the angriest. Or perhaps it’s my own sociopolitical prejudices that fuel me feeling anger. the name alone lets you know subject matter is dealing with unfair work situation that affect hundreds of thousands. But I digress, This one fucking destroys. It’s quickly over.
Barges in , beats the snot of you, and exits with an echo similar to the one on the very first mix of Chain Of Strength’s True Til Death 7 ” on Revelation. Iconic use of echo, but that is another story. I can’t hear Labor Dispute’s conclusion and not think of Chain’s similar ending.
Last is Negative Mind Power. As previously mentioned , its heavy. The key talking point which sutures and ties Habitual Offender up right nicely is it begins with screeeching feedback. Negative Mind Power ends with you guessed it, high pitch frequencies of a table saw only its a guitar and it fluctuates. A hardcore sandwich with feedback being your choice of bread. I’ll take mine sprouted with mosh and heavy fixing on the inside. Don’t waffle on this. It’s fucking too good to be that undecided fictional person on Hard Times.
These three EPs will not steer you wrong. I feel like a broken record but please support these artists and me if you can. As we look forward to coming weeks of live music slowly coming back worldwide. Let’s cross all fingers. Stay Well.