Good Field is a four people band from Austin, Texas, they work together to make indie rock music. Earlier in the year, they released a 10-track album titled Surface Tension. The album is filled with Arctic Monkeys-esque vocals and film score sounding instrumentals. Necessary Feeling and Sometimes sound like they could be the soundtrack of a transitional part of a movie that’s filled with montages. My favorite track from the album is Ordinary People. It stands out from the rest of the album and reassures the listener that being ordinary isn’t anything to be ashamed of.
Surface Tension was written almost entirely on these retreats to remote cabins and ranches in West Texas. However, this creative process is nothing new. I’d like to say that Bon Iver did it first, but I’m sure that there are other artists before him who have isolated themselves to focus on creating music. Also, Kanye did the same with his most recent album. For Good Field, there’s not a hint of irony or rehashed hippie new ageism with this isolation in Texas, meaning no yoga mats or hot stone massages. Though there is plenty of weed, armadillos and San Saba sunsets, mixed with all-nighter recording sessions. All this is to capture a simple melodic idea or groove to a warehouse for later refinement.
