Whether it’s Live After Death by Iron Maiden, Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse or MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana, the live album is an absolutely essential staple in any self-respecting band’s ongoing story. And so those eloquent purveyors of tear-stained ballads and folk tinged indie sounds Bell X1 take another stab at the format by releasing the sprawling double disk-set Field Recordings. As it transpires, it’s a warm and welcome trip down memory lane from start to finish.
Featuring material recorded during their 2010 European and American acoustic tour, which marked the 10th anniversary of the release of the band’s first record, the album documents a very special adventure. Paul Noonan & Co know how to carry this sort of more or less acoustic thing off really well – and so the stripped back style effectively showcases a bunch of musicians at the peak of their powers. Wisely opting to keep the odd bum note, vocal wobble and bits of between-song banter in the recordings (the relatively raucous crowd in the Empire in Belfast really adds to the vibe of ‘West Of Her Spine’ for example) the double album is the next best thing to having the lads play in your living room. And it reminds you once again just what a great songwriter Paul Noonan is, with his carefully crafted miniatures about love and life. Bell X1 acolytes will love hearing the likes of ‘In Every Sunflower,’ ‘Just Like Mr Benn’, ‘Bad Skin Day’ and ‘Pinball Machine’, with its haunting falsetto and country tinged piano. But the goods are all here. Field Recordings is an essential purchase for both fans and newcomers alike.