Review by Dom Vigil
Field Division’s new EP, Reverie State takes you to another state of mind within the first song, “Faultlines,” and doesn’t let go until it fades out four songs later. The EP itself starts off soft and soothing, but with vocal harmonies and instrumentation that are also eerie and haunting at the same time.
Within the first few vocal lines in “Faultlines,” the song manages to hook you almost immediately, and it just gets better and better as it goes on. When the full band comes in, the song just seems to come together, and when the gorgeous vocal harmonies come in, I’m completely sold. The song isn’t explosive, there isn’t a huge chorus or a catchy melody that you’ll be singing for days, but it’s the subtle things in “Faultlines” that make it strong, like a key change about halfway through that happens so smoothly, it’s hard to notice, or soft, haunting harmonies in the background that really fill out the rest of the song. The dissonant chords leave you feeling unsettled, but in the best way possible, only to be soothed by the gorgeous vocals – and that’s just in the first of five songs.
Much of Reverie State stays on the same level as it progresses, and while this would normally be a complaint for me, it makes for a surprisingly easy listen. While each song on the EP stays on that same airy, soft level, they all have their own tone. “Of Lives We’ve Never Known,” for instance, feels much brighter than the opening track. The middle song, “Hollow Body Weather,” is definitely the high point of the EP, though. The song starts off slow and quiet, much like the rest of Reverie State, but as the it progresses, it feels much fuller than the songs surrounding it. It’s the remarkable vocal harmonies (and just the vocal work in general) that really make “Hollow Body Weather” worth the listen, though.
“To Innisfree Land” is one of the more upbeat and catchy tracks on Reverie State, successfully ending the EP on a strong note. While there are little lulls in between, the EP as a whole is strong, the mellow mood throughout each song leaving you relaxed when Reverie State comes to a close. This isn’t necessarily an album that will change your life, but it will definitely put you in a better mood by the time it comes to a close, leaving you wanting to listen to it all over again.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Hollow Body Weather”