Chris Walla's Field Manual

Genre: Indie Pop



Guitarist and producer of Death Cab For Cutie, not to mention an in-demand producer of other indie artists like Nada Surf and The Decemberists, Chris Walla's solo debut Field Manual hit stores January 29th. I received my limited-edition full art album in the mail today straight from Barsuk Records. Walla had previously released several cassette recordings under the moniker Martin Youth Auxiliary. There are twenty some odd of these recordings available under Chris' studio website, The Hall of Justice. Field Manual feels like an album produced by Walla, with simple rhythms and iconic melodies. Like Death Cab without Benjamin Gibbard. The album's first single Sing Again, is as NPR describes it, "two minutes of pop-pleasure". The unmercifully catchy chorus and bass-propelled riffs hint at a darker meaning as the songs ends, "A life packed full of mindless joy/it is not easy to enjoy, oh." Other stand-out songs like Geometry & C., heralding the catchy chorus, " Let your heart keep the time," and Everyone Needs A Home, a cheerful, self-explanatory song of just needing a place to go. Surprisingly, Death Cab's vocalist Gibbard did not make an appearance on the indie-pop debut, though you can see his face in the video for Sing Again, below. Field Manual can be purchased from most indie retailers, or from Barsuk Records.



Album Rating: 4.5/5