Fielded’s sixth full-length, Chuckles Deluxe, moves away from the electronic production associated with earlier releases and puts their voice in front of a working band. Drums from Alex Goldberg, bass and guitar by Max Zuckerman, David Lackner’s keys and synths, and Jesse Sparhawk’s harp give the songs a loose jazz-pop frame with a clear affection for seventies songwriting. Fielded and Lackner co-wrote every track, while Fielded handled production and Willie Green recorded, mixed and mastered it in the Brooklyn, New York orbit that has shaped their work since 2011.
The arrangements leave plenty of room for Fielded’s harmonies and sharply personal writing. “Salome” deals with the anger of being misread by people with more power, “America” turns a wider political unease back on the self, and “Lose Faith” catches the anxiety of getting older while trying to remain an artist. The title track brings non-binary identity, shame and performance into a strange, playful conversation with the clown in the mirror. “Safe Now” strips the sound back from their usual approach for a painful account of leaving an emotionally abusive relationship. It’s candid without being solemn all the time, and the band keeps the record moving when the subjects get heavy. Indie pop and contemporary R&B listeners with a taste for singer-songwriters, jazz touches and unguarded lyrics should find plenty to hold onto here.
