If 2014’s Hold Still Lifewas the fruition of Field Mouse’s evolution from a fiery two-piece into a fully-fledged band, then new album Episodic (August 5, Topshelf Records) is the letting go; the abandonment of past persuasions for something altogether more untamed. Where the band’s initial work was self-recorded by founding members Rachel Browne and Andrew Futral, the new record signifies the first time that the quintet has composed an album together from start-to-finish.

Recorded in Philadelphia with Hop Along’s Joe Reinhart, and written through a twelve month period which delivered sudden family illness and a deteriorating relationship, Episodic is fashioned from ten feverish bouts of guitar-pop; led by Browne’s fearsome and fearless vocal and informed by an instrumental backing that underpins the entire record with a vibrant concoction of guitar, drums and keys. Showcasing the band’s ability to switch between mood and tone, the record shifts from the spiky immediacy of tracks such as ‘Accessory’ and ‘A WidowWith A Terrible Secret’, to the more spacious moments, such as monumental center-piece ‘Beacon’, without ever losing sight of the scuzzy, melodic pop songs that remain Field Mouse’s distinct forte.

Featuring guest turns from Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz), Allison Crutchfield (Swearin’/Waxahatchee) and Joseph D’Agostino (Cymbals Eat Guitars), Episodic is the sound of a fully-realized band truly coming in to their own; honest, direct and immensely
powerful.

Field Mouse is Rachel Browne (vocals/guitar), Andrew Futral (guitar), Saysha Heinzman (bass), Tim McCoy (drums), Zoë Browne (synth/rhodes/vocals).

Episodic
Track Listing
01. The Mirror
02. Half-Life
03. Accessory
04. The Order of Things
05. A Widow with a Terrible Secret
06. Beacon
07. Over And Out
08. Do You Believe Me Now?
09. Never Would Have Known
10. Out of Context