In the second installment of the Exploring the Library series, Olivia Wood gives us a fresh guide for Boy Angel, the new release from Fielded. Dive into this indie pop EP and add something new to your own library!
Album: Boy Angel
Artist: Fielded
Label: Universally Handsome
Year: 2015
Lindsay Powell—AKA Fielded—has been making strange, intricate synth-pop for some years now, but her latest release, the six-song EP Boy Angel, contains her most inventive yet accessible work yet. In the increasingly crowded arena of indie pop, Powell’s sheer skill and attention to detail clearly set her apart. The music foregrounds Powell’s clear and commanding voice, which draws apt comparison to Kate Bush, and she effortlessly murmurs and roars her way through the EP with equal magnetism. Meanwhile, the production continues Powell’s project of expanding the limits of pop, from the propulsive, glitchy beat of “REIGN†to the restrained twinkle of standout track “I Choose You.†As far as songwriting goes, Powell’s mastery of how to craft powerful hooks is obvious, but she manipulates each one in a way that always throws you off a bit, whether it’s through her personal, evocative lyrics or carefully twisted vocal acrobatics. Fielded makes things weird in the best way possible, and Boy Angel is a promising sign of further forays into the margins of pop music.
Key tracks: “I Choose You,†“REIGNâ€
Listen on Fielded’s bandcamp!
Review by Olivia Wood