Hold Still Life is album that is cast in stone as one for the brokenhearted. It's right up there with the collective of summer records that won't be known (and subsequently, praised) for their optimism or upbeat tones, but, instead, for a steady stream of beautiful, bruised soul-searching elements glazed over with heavy (and I mean heavy) tones of melancholy. It's charming, melodic and as their sophomore debut, it's as fresh as they could have hoped for.
Usually, bands like this, rely on a formula for churning out wispy, romantic and strikingly dark dream-pop but when it comes to Field Mouse, they're consistently good at breaking the mold they've set themselves. This album is no different as it peddles an unrestrained and vivid degree of songwriting that's full of mainstream charm yet very reminiscent of underground acts like Baby Ghosts, Tancred, Now,Now and of course, the more fiery Hop Along.
The hazy dynamic works well for Field Mouse and as fuzzy as they get, the variability of their music helps to keep them grounded in a constant state of shoegaze and surrealism. A soft narrative is something Rachel Browne prides herself on. The gorgeous ballad in "Kids" emphasizes and allows her prose to reign. Each melodic twist feels like a page turn in your favorite novel. "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is another example of this with a Phantogram-esque bassline that ends up corralling a Silversun Pickups pace to pretty much sum up how they've opted for the indie-pop route over the more overt electric grunge tones of music past...[more]
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