Recommended Tracks: “A Little Longer,” “Glowworm,” “Waking Up”
Artists You Might Like: Bombay Bicycle Club, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens
When it comes to songs about love, we know that they all don’t sound the same. Some love songs are bubbly and playful, others are quiet and vulnerable. It would be foolish to assume that love has to have one specific sound because, in the end, love feels different for different people. So when Brian Holl and Eric Hillman, the duo otherwise known as Foreign Fields, wrote their new album, they didn’t fully understand that it was a record about love. It was only after they stepped back and realized that even though the songs sound scattered and moody, What It Cost is still a love record – because love can be scattered, moody, and an overall array of emotions.
In order to both give and receive love, you need to have love for yourself. We hear about that journey to find that love at the beginning of What It Cost. The album opens with “After All,” which focuses on questionable choices made in life. While the acoustic melodies help the song to sound light and breezy, the vocals and lyrics are more on the serious, contemplative side. Throughout the track, we are given lines like, “Have you looked down yet / At the things you do? / Have you felt regret? / ‘Cause I’ve felt that too,” which will cause anyone to rethink their decisions and the way they’ve been living. Meanwhile, “A Little Longer” is all about giving yourself that time to become the best version of yourself. It has stronger melodies and rhythms, and leans into the full indie band sound that Brian and Eric had in mind when making the album. When we get to the third track, “When You Are,” we are aware that not everyone will have perfect days, even when you really want them. Over the steady rhythms that drive the track along, we hear, “I’m not getting better / I don’t even try” and “I don’t wanna feel this / But I don’t wanna die / I don’t wanna hold you back / From living your life,” showing that it’s inevitable to have dark thoughts. In the end, you just have to keep pushing.
If anything, various attempts to keep pushing forward can be made easier with family in mind. Towards the middle of the album, Foreign Fields share songs that center on living for others, such as family. On “Show Me Love,” we remember that it is important to maintain relationships with those we love. Actions will always speak louder than words, so we need to move with that in mind. The following track, “Glowworm,” is more positive-sounding, with fast-paced drumbeats and zippy electronic riffs. We are told simple observations about “a glowworm on the floor / a bird out in the sky,” which establish a sense of innocence and childlike wonder. As we hear, “I’m begging you to know me,” we understand that the song is not only about making a connection with your kids, but also about being closer to those you love.
The last portion of What It Cost is about the special connection that is shared with loved ones. With “Faultlines,” the desire to leave everything behind is challenged. The cozy folk feel of the track remedies lines like, “When I’m too far gone and it feels like I’ve given up / Will you lead me down to the place where I grew up?” and “I don’t wanna hide anymore / Spending my days changing my shape for yours.” In the end, we realize that sometimes all you need is right in front of you. The mood then dips on “Bloodstone,” a piano ballad that conjures up feelings of loneliness. As the lines slowly unravel, we grasp the weight of having to live with the absence of a loved one. Listeners are left with some warmth, however, on “Waking Up.” Calm and gentle, this track highlights the simple pleasure of being with someone you care about. A sense of togetherness seeps through in lines like, “We’re looking through the ocean / Not finding anything you can’t see / Keep driving down the freeway / Least I’ve got you and you’ve got me,” making it a perfect way to end this love album.
Fans of Foreign Fields will recognize that What It Cost stands out from prior albums. Brian explains, “Our goal for this record was to break free from the usual Foreign Fields process – just Eric and me spending hours in a room, perfecting every little detail. This time, we wanted to bring others into the mix and create a more live ‘band’ sound.” In more ways than one, What It Cost is based on others, from its contents to the way it was created. Foreign Fields not only incorporated their friends Nate Babbs on drums and Nick Morawiecki on guitar, but they weaved together stories of and feelings about people that they care about on the album. In the end, the duo have achieved a rich, ambient collection of songs that will encourage listeners to hold those they love a little closer.
You can listen to What It Cost here.
On October 26, Foreign Fields will be performing at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN. Tickets and more information can be found here.
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