If You Blink, You Could Miss It: NYC Albums to Look Out For
Field Mouse – Hold Still Life (July 22 via Topshelf Records)
Some people hear Velocity Girl in “band-you-need-to-hear” Field Mouse, which, sure, there are guitars and ample fuzz, but Rachel Browne’s crystal-clear vocals and acute sense of melody are much more aligned with someone like Juliana Hatfield. As sweet as she may sound on Field Mouse’s sophomore full-length, her precise and strong delivery gives you the sense you don’t want to cross her. The band is equally driving and alert, refuting the staring-down-at-your-shoes aspect of “shoegaze.” Together, the underlying emotions hit across the board: the album could soundtrack the angstiest scenes in Heathers and the most romantic in Reality Bites. Because it’s no longer the 90s, the album is streaming over at Hype Machine: give it a listen.