Field Music - "Tones of Town" (Memphis Industries)

If Yoko Ono and Michael Jackson could charge licensing fees on The Beatles’ sound, they’d make a fortune off Field Music’s folky and relatively empty second release, “Tones of Town.”

The band, which formed in 2005, hails from Sunderland, England, and they trade in the same brand of music that was famously pioneered in Liverpool. Of the band’s three members, two are brothers, Peter and David Brewis, who are responsible for most of Field Music’s creative decisions.

In indie pop terms, Field Music ends up in the easy-listening category. When you detect some of the glaring “borrowing” going on, though, the band ultimately misses the mark. Whether in guitar lines, drum beats, string melodies, or vocal harmonies, you almost get the feeling that actual sections of Beatles songs have been spliced in, to little emotional effect. Other groups, including every band ever, have experimented with the musical precedent set by The Beatles, but usually with more inspiring and enjoyable products. Field Music’s attempt lacks depth and rarely contains any energy.

One frustrating aspect of their sound is its insistent use of sharp rhythms. The guitar leads and accompanying, layered drumbeats are short and abrupt rather than flowing melodically. You’re not being wooed through the song as with many Britpop bands; you’re being jerked around by a lack of consistent melody. Whereas some groups can use this to their artistic favor, Field Music has produced an album that makes listening uncomfortable.

“Give It Lose It Take It,” opens the album on a fairly promising note, marked by xylophones, Beatles guitar, and compelling vocals set over an up-tempo beat. Early hopes are dashed, though, by the entrance of a cheesy synth midway through the song that quickly turns it into the soundtrack of an old Nintendo game.

The second track, “Sit Tight,” features piano reminiscent of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” and again seems like it could be something special. As with the previous track, though, a fairly good song (in this case, one with an even better bridge) is marred in the end by random beat-boxing by one of the band members.

“Tones of Town,” the title track, underscores the album’s descent, revolving around two guitar notes and alternating rhythms. This song also exaggerates the album’s jerkiness, as the stop-and-go movement doesn’t allow it to get off its own feet.

The album’s first single, “A House Is Not A Home,” could easily be a sped-up version of “Oh! Darling,” fully fitted with pulsing piano chords and moaning guitar lines. Following it, “In Context” has a guitar part that’s almost a perfect replica of the lead for “Twist and Shout.”

The standout track by far is “A Gap Has Appeared.” For once, Field Music is able to make use of The Beatles’ tradition in a way that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen. With heavily distorted guitar that could come out of “Mean Mr. Mustard” and strings similar to those from “Eleanor Rigby,” the song presents a new twist that will hopefully be expanded upon in future recordings.

Although Field Music’s aims are surely noble, their album is ultimately hard to listen to and rather dull. It provides a scavenger hunt for Beatles fans and not much else. Despite demonstrating promising possibilities for the future, Field Music is still from Sunderland, not Liverpool.

—Reviewer Andrew Nunnelly can be reached at nunnelly@fas.harvard.edu.