Over the course of their first half-dozen years together,
Field Mouse shifted away from early shoegaze influences toward a more streamlined guitar pop that still echoed with some of the shadowy quality of dreams. Any momentum was interrupted, however, following the release of 2016's
Episodic and, more importantly, the outcome of that year's presidential election. The band essentially went on an unofficial hiatus, partly to focus on their personal lives but largely due to bandleader
Rachel Browne being too demoralized -- and self-conscious about the place of art in the circumstances -- to write. After two years away from music,
Browne was inspired by looking through some of her old poems and reached out to band co-founder
Andrew Futral. The resulting
Meaning makes an effort to find perspective and support structures in uncertain times. Gliding synths and softly churning guitar hooks open the midtempo "In Blue," which complains "I don't want to hear the sound/Of a century crashing to the ground" before predicting that "We stay alive/To see the planets realign a second time." The latter lines are emphasized as guitars and drums drop out for a few bars. Throughout, the album's sound is a mix of dreamy textures and motivating bounce; "Skygazing" is a particularly spacy, reverb-washed tune, while songs like "Heart of Gold" and "Apocalypse Whenever" counterbalance with driving, danceable indie rock. The rest of the album, including the post-punky "Visitors," falls somewhere in between in a crossover realm of catchy and contemplative, which ultimately proves to be a satisfying place to pass the time. ~ Marcy Donelson
