FUV's New Dig: Field Report

Marigolden
Field Report
Partisan Records (Knitting Factory Records)

Field Report is a Milwaukee band fronted by singer-songwriter Christopher Porterfield. After making waves with their 2012 self-titled debut, Field Report (an anagram of Porterfield) now releases their sophomore effort, Marigolden.

There's a certain loneliness that pervades Porterfield's songs here, but they're not without an emerging sense of hopefulness. There is a recurring theme of stepping from solitary darkness towards positivity. That kind of transformation reflects some of the life changes that Porterfield has experienced in recent years, first and foremost his choice to quit drinking.

A quest for deliverance is present in Marigolden's ten songs, but it's clear that achieving this goal is a difficult struggle that may never reach a satisfactory end.

"Wings," with its rising electronic denseness, is one of the album's more intense moments, providing a balance to the folky, largely acoustic songs like the album's bookends, "Decision Day" and "Enchantment." Both "Home (Leave The Lights On)," the poppiest tune on Marigolden, and "Summons" provide a glimpse of the album's figurative finish line, with lyrics like "but leave the lights on, cause it might be nighttime when I get there, but I'm on my way home" and "I'll be coming home to you."

Marigolden is a lyrically potent album that draws from both an indie rock sensibility and the well-worn vision of contemporary folk artists. The influence of iconic writers like Steve Earle ("Enchantment") and Neil Young (the piano-based ballad "Ambrosia") are also apparent in Field Report's songs. The result is one of the more introspective works to come around in 2014.

More:

• Field Report performs songs from Marigolden in a show for WFUV Marquee Members, 2014
• Preview songs and/or buy 'em (all purchases benefit WFUV):