Field of Love is Caila Thompson-Hannant’s second full-length under the moniker Mozart’s Sister. Her debut with Arbutus Records, it doubles down on the off-kilter electro-pop of her 2014 debut.
In “Eternally Girl,” the album’s opening melodic line unfolds on mechanical bleeps that evoke movie spaceships of the pre-digital age. Thompson-Hannant’s cherubic soprano enters with spare but glitchy accompaniment by melodic keys, electronic glugs, strings, and drum samples, each one at a time until the song kicks into full gear. The intro sets the tone for an album filled with spontaneous intrusions and a playful palette, all coming across as kind of magical, in sharp contrast to heavier club fare. It’s all dance pop at heart, with a persistently implied four-on-the-floor — rarely so simple in…
…reality. She goes full diva on “Angel” (“Could it be that I have kissed an angel?”), a slower seduction that leans into alternative R&B and evades patterned beats. The coy “Bump” takes inspiration from hip-hop, and later, “My Heart Is Wild” keeps things light with marimba-type tones, handclaps, intermittent funky bass, and squiggly electronics. Ornate but polished throughout, Field of Love ultimately delivers pop music for those who are bored with pop music.