Going through an artistic shift, even a soft one, is not always easy. Foreign Fields achieves it superbly with their new album, What It Cost. Review.
WHAT IT COST – FOREIGN FIELDS
While the world around me is buzzing, I find myself in a dreamy bubble of patience and softness, thanks to this album. This is the new opus from Foreign Fields, called What It Cost, and it’s filled with love. It first opens with the delicate and nostalgic After All. The round bass opens the depths of the heart while the vocals are clear – sometimes high, sometimes whispered. Yes, there is contrast, and I find it magical. Some more upbeat pop-folk accents colour the world when A Little Longer starts. Here, a guitar with sharp effects adds a little something extra, making the track truly unique. I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s not the last time the band will surprise me here.
A whimsical piano, on a more grounded electro-coloured production, highlights a catchy melody, and When You Are is an instant favourite. There’s something about Foreign Fields that speaks volumes, that moves me deeply, whether in these open and demonstrative moments, as well as in the more intimate ones (Show Me Love). Melancholic and transcendent folk (Glowworm), progressive lo-fi atmosphere (Clear Air), haunting and tender chords sprinkled with saturated experimentation (Faultlines, Damages)… while there are a few deviations from folk, the whole record is particularly harmonious and enchanting.
To end the album, everything becomes even more sober and intimate with a subtle piano and vocals duet on Bloodstone. And finally, with the tender Waking Up. The duo, composed of Brian Holl and Eric Hillman, captures snapshots of a universal everyday life without shying away from experimenting. With Nate Babbs (drums) and Nick Morawiecki (guitar), together they make of What It Cost a true turning point for Foreign Fields, while keeping the band’s essence intact: freedom. The result is a real contemplative and introspective break from the world, filled with love.
