Drake's Take: New Releases 02.16.10

Owing to his and my respective vacations (but mostly mine), this week’s “Drake’s Take” is coming at ya a little late. Enjoy! -ed.

Drake’s Take: New Releases 02.16.10

It’s a deeper week than last, but not as top heavy. I’ve been loving this new Field Music release, and the Freeway & Jake One joint is a charmer. Elsewhere, there’s the latest from Robert Pollard, Local Natives, Mumford & Sons, Adam Green, Tindersticks, Lightspeed Champion, Juliana Hatfield, The Art Museums and a special Preservation Hall Jazz Band benefit release featuring guest vocals from an eclectic collection of voices like Tom Waits, Jim James, Pete Seeger, Jason Isbell, Andrew Bird, Merle Haggard and more.

Playlist: New Releases 02.16.10

Field Music – Measure
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Measure, in musical terms, is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration. With a band that’s as precise as Field Music, it seems appropriate that their title be so… um… precise as well. While the band thrives on precision, they build chaos around that proper BritPop sound, bleeding the edge. Field Music went on hiatus back in 2007, citing a boredom with the rock format of guitar/bass/drums, and set out to release projects on their own that broke away from their perceived constraints. As such, we got interesting releases from School of Language (David Brewis) and The Week That Was (Peter Brewis). Measure is like a hodge-podge collection of these different styles in one release, mixing the experimentation of the Brewis bros. projects, and the more straight ahead / XTC-influenced BritPop of the band prior. It makes for an initially disorienting ride, but I’ve yet to grow tired of it’s twists and turns. “Them That Do Nothing” sounds like it was written and Field Music had to reunite just to perform it (it’s that good), while “Let’s Write a Book” finds the band at it’s simplest (and, in this context, greatest). It’s a high-wire act all the way through, and at the end you may find yourself relieved that it’s over, but exhilarated all the same.

Freeway & Jake One- Odd Blood
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

I have to confess I’m not a huge Freeway fan, but when word got out he had Jake One in tow for this latest release, I was definitely on board. There’s a reason that an instrumental version of the record had to be released as well, as the Seattle producer captures the essence of 70’s soul so well, the rap often sounds like it gets in the way.