The Crawpuppies are not from some cajun side dish, but a band that hails from Indiana. When the album leads off with a Big Star riff in the title track you know you’re in for some fun. The band lead by Chad Clifford (vocals/guitar) has a fine approach with basic power pop, I am reminded a bit of Del Amitri with it’s bar styled strum and shifting chords on “She Comes Lovely.” The ballad “We” is a wonderful mid tempo song about growing a relationship and the melody with full harmonies on the Squeeze-like “Owe It All To You” and “Mental Demons” are just perfect. The adult folk ballad “My Wife” is an effective and intimate portrait of a marriage that will lift your soul. The tone shifts a bit by mid-album to a more blues based rock sound with “I Wanna Know” and “3 Little Things.” I felt Chad’s vocals strain here, as he sounds more in his element with the soft bossa nova of “Here We Go Again.” The album runs out of creative juice towards the end with the echoey funk of “Masquerade,” but it never gets boring and the best of those melodies are sure to stick in your head.

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UK melodic alternative popsters Field Music have returned with a double album here called Measure. Since the brilliant Tones of Town in 2007 we are treated to twenty absorbing tracks.  I wasn’t impressed with the opener “In The Mirror” which has a dissonant piano chord banging away. Those looking for a quick pop fix will need to be patient although the juicy guitar and handclaps of “Them That Do Nothing” is a classic track that proves these Brewis brothers still have the goods. The bluesy pop prog mix of “Each Time is A New Time” is a flawless mix of both Led Zepplin and XTC. This is a masterful composition of riffs and rythyms that lead us into the next track “Measure” easily. The title track has a Rundgrenesque beat with chorus and classical violin “riff” that weaves together tightly. The angular vocals and overlapping guitar rhythms and beats of “Clear Water” recall the Talking Heads mixed with early Yes. The art pop label is apparent as we run into experimentation and prog minimalism the deeper we delve into the album. There is a lot here to like, but several songs coalesce into each other and the melodies seem less important than the instrumentation (“Lights Up”, “All You’d Need To Say”). By the album’s mid-point some tracks feel like filler amongst the real gems, like the nervous piano and harmonies on “The Rest is Noise” and the awesome guitars on”The Wheels Are in Place.” Again something here in the proceedings reminds me of Todd Rundgren, maybe it’s the sonic indulgences of “Something Familiar.” Overall the soundscapes are compelling enough, but it’s definitely not light listening and headphones are recommended here to appreciate the craftsmanship.

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