INDIE FOLK ROCK. Singer/songwriter Christopher Porterfield once played with guys who formed alt-folk bands Bon Iver and Megafaun. Porterfield then spent five years polishing songs for this excellent debut of his own band, Field Report (an anagram of Chris’s own last name). The singing & songwriting (with literate lyrics & detailed imagery) are quite good.

FCC issues in tracks 4 & 10.

1 *** Mid-tempo. Striking lyrics. Acoustic guitar & vox to start; add elec guitar & rhythm, then violin & cello, finally harmony voice & trumpet. Keeps getting better & better. (5:03)
2 Slow. Love gone bad. Snare drum adds hopelessness as in Paul Simon’s “50 Ways” (5:13)
3 ** Mid-tempo. Classic folkie singer-songwriter type song. Finger-picking guitar & a bit of pedal steel, held together by beautiful legato chords on organ. Good singing too. (3:28)
4 ** (Mild FCC: shit to do) About having courage to make choices in life. Finger-style guitar, organ-toned synth & pretty piano. Gorgeous vocal harmony in the refrain. (5:23)
5 Mid-tempo, story-telling ballad. ok song on many albums, doesn’t stand out here. (3:22)
6 Very slow. Desperate, low-down folk ballad. Acoustic guitar, bass & piano. (3:35)
7 * Mid-tempo. Guitar, synth, bass, syncopated drumming. Soulful feel. (5:51)
8 * VERY slow. Voice with minimal accompaniment. Bleak, sad lyrics. (3:15)
9 Slow. Chris sings out of his comfortable range. A bit of country twang. (3:34)
10 ** (FCC: fuckers, fucked up) Minimal to start, gradually adds layers. Very emotional. Do listen to this (it’s very good), just don’t broadcast it. (5:46)