By Dave Guzda
With a band name like Field Assembly, you may be expecting music from any number of genres (my first thought was Industrial :D) - but I was wrong. Field Assembly is the music of Canadian indie-rock singer/songwriter Adam Fox. Fox comes from a long line of farmers from south Essex County (in lovely Ontario, Canada) and was the first in his family not to follow farming. A tradition in Fox's family that stretches back to the late 18th century. Fox may not till the land but nature, Earth and its wisdom courses deeply through his songs, lyrics and the overall tone of his music. The root of Assembly's music is in acoustic guitar but sufficient additional instrumentation surfaces throughout the seven songs on Narco to create profoundly alluring musical atmospheres. I don't think I ever listened to just one song off Narco... Once the ear heard the halcyon atmospheres and Fox's affable and absorbing voice I was always willingly compelled to listen to the entire album.
The pace of the songs on Narco are fairly even. Fox stays within a comfortable range throughout the album. The vocals and lyrics therefore take on a greater importance to engage the listener and each song rises to the challenge. The lyrics on Narco are evocative and clever, they paint detailed pictures that give the brain plenty to digest and contemplate. The opening track 'Receiver' says: "Oh my god, I am reeling/ This unspeakable season got me carried away/ Leaving no lesson/ Just burnt skin and wet walls and stains/ Made myself a receiver/ Built with animal fever, so violent and plain". There are gorgeous vocal harmonies throughout Narco; solo Fox and various duos. On 'Receiver' the 'So throw your arms ‘round the obscenity' stands out with a graceful, spiritual quality that you'll crave every time you play the track. Along with the gentle acoustic guitar, 'Receiver' has some striking but subtle percussion and a light drone that lurks in the background that adding depth to this intriguing song.
Next 'Storm and Stress' is a catchy track punctuated with horn. In the second half of the song, the Stress half perhaps?, some sort of haunting whisper shuffles within the mix. Chilling. There is a fine balance of instrumentation on Narco that keeps the songs engaging. The next two songs 'Through a Bottle Through a Well' and 'Lion Versus Christians' further showcase Fox's great voice and song writing. I'm sure Fox could sing any words and they would sounds like magic. Much like the spellbinding quality many people ascribe to Morgan Freeman's voice. 'Lion Versus Christians' with its harmonica intro and exit made me think of some of the softer moments from another Canadian band Lowest of the Low. The lyrics once again thought provoking: "How the lions do covet the Christians/ Salt the earth with the sweat from your divine labourlove/ Old and threatening/ This albatross won’t be hurried, whored, or fired/ Wear him, now, around your throat".
The next two cheerful and optimistic songs 'Gold Coast' and 'Hope' have charming choruses. The first with "I’m not disappearing/ I’m not gonna slide between the walls/ Into some other darkness /Don’t get to pick your end..." and 'Hope' with "Hope, will I invoke you?/ Hope, will I revoke you? / Hope, will I reveal my fearsome side?". Enthralling stuff. Often it is only the first, or second song on an album you connect with but Narco's songs are consistently good throughout the album. My favourite song was the final song entitled 'Foreign Homes'. I like how it unfolds, adding more instrumentation until by the end of the song, it sounds lush, abounding with character.
I really enjoyed this album. It is unfortunate it was born out of Mr.Fox's 'nocturnal maladies' but hopefully he takes some solace in having creating such a compelling, heartfelt album. Field Assembly possess a genial and alluring sound whose uplifting musical charm will linger on your soul well after the singing has stopped. Narco is striking, smart, harmonious, soothing and richly satisfying. I really need to listen to more music like this...
