Review by Shannon Shumaker
Field Mouse’s new album Hold Still Life is just an easy listen. It’s soft and relaxing, and the fuzzy guitars coupled with vocalist Rachel Browne’s dreamy voice are just soothing and beautiful. It’s so easy to get lost in this album that, upon my first time listening to it, I just had to press play again after it was over, having cruised through all twelve tracks without even realizing it.
The best part about Hold Still Life is easily the dreamy and mystical quality about every single song on the album. And the great thing is, not every song is just simple, laid back and mellow. While it’s easy to get lost in Browne’s voice and the soft synthesizers and ambient noise alongside it, songs like “Horizon City” and “Everyone But You” come along and shake things up, keeping Hold Still Life diverse. “Everyone But You” is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album, with its upbeat and poppy vibe, as well as the strong and high-energy beginning to the song. On the other side of the spectrum, though, the slower track “Bright Lights” is another favorite of mine. It’s easy to close your eyes while listening to “Bright Lights” and let the music wash over you as Rachel Browne coos “I hope the summer never ends…”
While in some parts on the album, specifically on the track “Asteroid,” the distorted guitar and synthesizer seem to overpower the vocals, making them hard to hear, there are also these beautiful, shining moments of clarity in the music that absolutely make up for it. Once again, this is evident in “Asteroid” when everything fades out except for Browne’s voice as she sings the hard-hitting lyrics “Walk away, walk away,” in such a soft, sing-song voice that it’ll make your head spin.
It’s really just easy to get lost in Hold Still Life, all the way through to the last two mellow and hypnotizing tracks on the album, “Kids” and “Water In The Valley.” Field Mouse have really found something special in this album, which says a lot, especially considering the fact that Hold Still Life is the band’s first full-length as a full band. Hold Still Life is dreamy and hypnotic and perfect for warm summer evenings, or jamming out to on long car rides home, and I know that this album will be pumping through my speakers for months to come.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Bright Lights”