Four years after the release of Soft Pow’r, folk troubadour Kyle Field (a.k.a. Little Wings) is back with a full length album, Black Grass. A multitalented artist, Field has spent the past few years fostering the illustration side of his creative brilliance with exhibitions and the art book Put It in a Nutshell, as well as focusing on his musical side projects Be Gulls (with fellow CA musician Lee Baggett) and Daytrotter sessions. The four year hiatus may have been difficult for Little Wings fans, but Black Grass is worth the wait. While the album is influenced by the decidedly non-folk strains of the punk band Dos (Mike Watt and Kirra Roessler, formerly of Minutemen and Black Flag, respectively) and the synthpop song “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys, Fields intricately blends the genres much like the soft muted palette of his surreal artwork. Fields’ signature vocals – high and slightly nasal, yet beguiling – float above the mellow instrumentation, making for simple, intimate soundscapes on this collection of beautifully resonant indie folk. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Be Gulls, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Castanets, Calvin Johnson, Mount Eerie, Pedro the Lion, Thanksgiving