Fields

Junip

Released on 9/13/10 by Mute
Main artists: Junip
Genre: Alternative & Indie

Digital booklet

Available in

16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

Fields, the debut album by José González's band Junip, was nearly a decade in the making, and it sounds like it. Not because it’s particularly elaborate -- actually, in many places, it’s nearly as spare as González's solo work -- but because the chemistry evident on these songs only comes with time. González and his bandmates, keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn and drummer Elias Araya, began playing together in the late ‘90s. Though they went in different directions for several years, with Araya studying art and Winterkorn teaching and building a studio while González made a name for himself as a solo singer/songwriter, Fields' simple, confident, surprisingly easy feel shows that Junip was never far from their minds. They sound like a real band, and González is as much a team player here as the other two-thirds of the group; while “To the Grain” could have appeared on one of his own albums, most of these songs are fleshed out in their own unique way. “In Every Direction” kicks off the album with hypnotic beats and keyboards that have a much more rock feel than anything González has done on his own, while “Tide” closes it with big drums and drones. In between are songs filled with interesting, but not showy, textures and ideas, from “Rope & Summit”'s acoustic Krautrock motorik to “Sweet & Bitter”'s distorted beats. “Howl” is another standout, futuristic folk-blues with percussion that sounds like an impromptu rhythm tapped on a water glass. Elsewhere, jazz and the repetition-based Ethiopian music González grew up with make their presences felt, giving Fields a subtly exotic feel that sets a lingering mood. Indeed, mood sometimes overtakes songwriting, with tracks like “Without You” and “Off Point” focusing more on atmosphere than melody. Despite this, it’s a real pleasure to hear González thinking and playing bigger here with the help of his friends. Fields is intriguing in a low-key way that grows with repeated listening and will make González fans into Junip fans.

© Heather Phares /TiVo

More info

Fields

Junip

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From $10.83/month