Most bands are quick to pack up, load gear and hit the road while on tour and playing various towns and shows. Foreign Fields decided to hang around one night last year and perform a few more songs just for friends.
Tuscaloosa, the bands latest EP, was the end result thanks to Cal Quinn who produced, recorded and mixed the session that evening in where else, Tuscaloosa. The band gives due credit to Cal for his work in capturing the night and "making it sound the way we hoped it would."
Pillars is the first track you hear on the EP opening with an acoustic finger bass - mid tone rhythm played on guitar that features some of the best captured string slides and squeaks I've heard in a long time. Perfect texture to the track as it builds into haunting harmonies over full deep brush sounds on the snare and tom.
The next song lifts the tempo a few bpm with an almost subtle march groove and well placed (mic'ed) shaker down beat. From The Lake To The Land conjures up scenes of true folk atmosphere that could easily frame a great film sequence. Hint, hint to all music supervisors.
Names and Races, the third track, offers a great unexpected diminishing musical break around the 1:20 mark and again at 2:00 which creates good dynamics. Violin adds a great melody line to the mainly acoustic vocal performance 3/4 into the song. Great harmonies build to a full band introduction to wrap things up.
Tasteful left - right pans compliment the fifth track Fake Arms throughout. A waltz style "feel rhythm" on the acoustic gives the listener a cool live experience with this mix. Full band opens up at two and a half minutes in with banjo, synth, percussion and more. Like the other four this song is a sonic story from start to end.
Track number four was skipped on purpose. Why try and explain what you can see and hear for yourself. Check out Mountaintop live while being recorded in Tuscaloosa, AL.
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