Lindsay Anne Powell's Fielded alias is a relatively fresh face, both new in gestation and sound. After a cassette and full-length release on the Chicago imprint Catholic Tapes, Powell has put together her debut release for Sophomore Lounge, recording and performing entirely solo. While Imogen Heap or Julianna Barwick comparisons could be drawn given this minute factoid, Fielded is cut from a very distant cloth.
"Garden Lace" sets a spooky and minimal basis as an introduction: Powell's croons arise slowly, and trembling synthesizer chords harmonize with her multi-layered voice. Dissipating into the title track, baritone vocals take place of the rhythm section, characterizing the sound of a haunted barbershop quartet. The aforementioned synth cadences are resurrected as Powell's chants amass into a beautiful symphony.
Flipping over, "Late Come To Stay" supports Powell's influence derived from early horror films, introduced by a simple drum machine rhythm and bending keys; an instrumental channeling what could be a soundtrack to a Fulci film. Noticeably more pained, her voice somewhat resembles Beth Gibbons of Portishead; a refrain that parallels "Cowboys" as she illustrates an image of losing a significant other. Closer "The Source" exhibits Powell at her most impassioned, opening with her densely overlapping melodies as churning bass notes and a trudging beat accompany her.
Grasping the aura that Fielded channels requires no further exploration than what White Death attains. The dark semblance of Powell's music is expanded to its full potential, ranging from supernatural, even Goblin-esque pop to ghostly, heartbroken hymns. The equilibrium between variation and cohesion is well-established, evoking anticipation for what will emerge from the project in the future.
[Fielded Bandcamp]
[Buy the White Death 7" from Sophomore Lounge Records]
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