SpenniesFieldtrip - A Greater Rate of Speed
August 2nd 2006 09:50
FIELDTRIP
A Greater Rate of Speed
Independent (2002)
Produced by Joel Taylor & Fieldtrip
Remember a little while ago when it was cool to play ska? When it was the main offshoot of punk-rock, and every high school band nerd suddenly found a place in their local 'scene' because they just so happened to be pretty excellent at the trombone? Well for those of you who don't, it was a bit of a strange time that involved teenagers in op shop suits and bowling shoes, awful ties and suspenders and probably even worse dancing. But hey, at the end of the day it was also a lot of fun, and of the thousands of incredibly average bands who sprung out of the woodworks, a couple were actually pretty decent, and Fieldtrip just happened to be one of them.
The 8 songs on offer here - their second EP I believe - are all pretty much rooted in the ska/punk sound of the late 90's/early 00's. They remind me of possibly a mix of NOFX and Voodoo Glow Skulls (minus the annoying-ness) as they're a bit more punk rock in the approach. Fieldtrip were a competent band, I can remember really enjoying this when I first purchased it, but now listening to it again, it's sort of hard to listen to in parts due to some poor quality recording. While it isn't too bad and you get used to it, they just seem to have fallen victime to a dodgy mix where the guitars are very non-existent and the horns are very loud. Oh well, that's what you get with local releases.
My favourite song is the awesome "Seen But Not Heard" which is a beast all of it's own. If they wrote every song as great as this one they would have been absolutely killer. It's all jazzy and has some great horn-lines, but then the chorus' are very VGS - it all works and it denounces ill-mannered security guards with the line "We are the backbone of your life". Top work! The song also features an extended spacey saxophone solo that shows they really know how to play their stuff. The other tunes on the album don't shine as much as this one, but more have some really great parts. They'll come out with a great catchy chorus but then the bridge will not be as consistent. Perhaps I'm being a bit too cynical though, as I can listen to the whole thing without cringing or reaching for the skip button.
One of the best things about Fieldtrip is that they are not generic or boring, they present a few different styles and add enough quirks to their songs to keep things interesting. I never got to see them play live while they were together, but I can imagine they would have been awesome.
"A Great Rate of Speed" is a good insight into the Melbourne ska/punk sound of years now gone, but would probably be hard to track down, if not impossible.
A Greater Rate of Speed
Independent (2002)
Produced by Joel Taylor & Fieldtrip
The 8 songs on offer here - their second EP I believe - are all pretty much rooted in the ska/punk sound of the late 90's/early 00's. They remind me of possibly a mix of NOFX and Voodoo Glow Skulls (minus the annoying-ness) as they're a bit more punk rock in the approach. Fieldtrip were a competent band, I can remember really enjoying this when I first purchased it, but now listening to it again, it's sort of hard to listen to in parts due to some poor quality recording. While it isn't too bad and you get used to it, they just seem to have fallen victime to a dodgy mix where the guitars are very non-existent and the horns are very loud. Oh well, that's what you get with local releases.
My favourite song is the awesome "Seen But Not Heard" which is a beast all of it's own. If they wrote every song as great as this one they would have been absolutely killer. It's all jazzy and has some great horn-lines, but then the chorus' are very VGS - it all works and it denounces ill-mannered security guards with the line "We are the backbone of your life". Top work! The song also features an extended spacey saxophone solo that shows they really know how to play their stuff. The other tunes on the album don't shine as much as this one, but more have some really great parts. They'll come out with a great catchy chorus but then the bridge will not be as consistent. Perhaps I'm being a bit too cynical though, as I can listen to the whole thing without cringing or reaching for the skip button.
One of the best things about Fieldtrip is that they are not generic or boring, they present a few different styles and add enough quirks to their songs to keep things interesting. I never got to see them play live while they were together, but I can imagine they would have been awesome.
"A Great Rate of Speed" is a good insight into the Melbourne ska/punk sound of years now gone, but would probably be hard to track down, if not impossible.
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