A going concern since 1998, Pia Fraus drew
attention with snappy, strummed pop songs that forewent the gargantuan
instrumental riffing that often opened earlier shoegaze pieces, such as MBV’s
“Only Shallow”. Their tracks tended to move directly into the subdued vocal
melodies and chord changes on which they built their world. Even on early tunes
such as “Swim In Eyes” and “Moon Like A Pearl”, both on the 2001 EP debut Wonder What
It’s Like, Pia Fraus exhibited a cosmopolitan refinement and restraint
that allowed twee organ textures and crisp cymbal work to peek out above the
fuzz.
In Solarium,
the band’s 2002 debut full length, and Nature Heart
Software, their 2006 sophomore album, saw a subtle and gradual tweaking
of the formula along with higher production values. On Software especially, the band offered Isn’t Anything send-ups such as “Day Week or Season” as well as a
newer, starker sound of their own exemplified by the elegant horn-filled album
closer “Japanese Heart Software.”
The band’s third LP After Summer appeared in 2008,
while the 2003-2008 period was also characterized by a healthy output of
singles and EPs—the excellent, experimental Mooie Island EP ranking as this writer’s favorite—revealing a
creatively restless side of the band that furthered their appeal. The
discography resumes in 2013 with the Silmi
Island compilation, a “greatest hits” of sorts that aimed towards
consolidating the project’s legacy with thick, bass-heavy reworkings of
previous material.
Last October’s Field
Ceremony, the first album release in eight years, is a companion to Silmi Island in its full, blossoming
sound, while also working as a statement of intent. With this latest disc, Pia
Fraus provide a dependable new album of characteristically Pia Fraus material. After
twenty years of evolution as a band, they are now masters of their very own
corner of the dream-pop universe.
Opener “It’s Over Now” sets the tone for Field Ceremony immediately. Cooing
mantras and harmonies pulsate over resonant and grinding guitar tones albeit
with a simplicity that imparts a special and modern devotional quality.
“Never Again Land” and “Autumn Winds” follow. The
hooks and classic pop structures at times bring to mind the lovesick maturity
of Belle and Sebastian, but amidst dashes of woozy fuzz and effects bounding
about the periphery.
After this, the acoustic-led “Mountain Trip Guide”
arrives, building further on stately song craft though this time with a woodsy,
starry-eyed folk number that serves as the latest diversion within the band’s
arsenal. The hushed, downcast “Don’t Tell Me How” plays a similar role later as
a track sprinkled within the rockers to break up the pacing effectively.
“Endless Clouds” harkens back to the band’s buzzy,
tinnier early days. A jangled, atonal guitar refrain between the verses elicits
the same uneasy feeling as a prime Sonic Youth melody.
Closer “That’s Not All” rounds out the set with an
emphasis again on the band’s more punky, whammy-bar dominated work. By the time
lush string synths overwhelm the song’s refrain, it’s apparent that Pia Fraus
have created a succinct collection of music that pulls effortlessly from across
the many strengths and moods the band have established within their palette
across decades. Field Ceremony grows the band’s legacy and reminds listeners
why they came to love this now iconic band in the first place.
Field Ceremony vinyl, CDs, T-shirts and downloads
are available from the band’s web
store. An EP
consisting of remixes of “Mountain Trip Guide” has just been released.
