School of Language - Sea From Shore Album Review

School of Language
Sea From Shore
Memphis Industries
Album Review

You may have views about Field Music (I do, and most of them aren't positive), but David Brewis, of that selfsame band, has made a bit of a gem here with his side project, School of Language. Hailing from Sunderland (yes, that Sunderland), Sea From Shore explodes out of the starting gate with a contender for single of the year in Rockist part 1, and then proceeds to..., well, to update 10CC for 2008 - this is a rock disc that uses intelligence, power pop, invention and odd structures. Utilising fellow Sunderland musicians (Futureheads, Field Music), Sea From Shore is inconsistent - it mixes XTC with its 10CC - bound together with the Rockist theme (it has four parts, although it's not as pretentious as that sounds). Kind of like 10CC's Deceptive Bends. It would be easier to imagine this disc hailing from Austin, Texas, or Athens, Georgia, such is the maturity of the rock, when it is good. In the end, it can only be hoped that Field Music becomes a launching pad for School of Language. Sea From Shore is the best disc yet from that stable.

Rating 8/10

Mike Rea