Admittedly, I was somewhat excited when I saw the title of this collection was Field Recordings, hoping that this was possibly some sort of raw live-to-tape source recording of Russian gypsies or Texan farmhands a la Alan Lomax's Library of Congress work. But no, it seems that the tracks found here are not "field recordings" at all, at least not in a traditional sense, but in fact more post-rock from England's impressive Gringo Records roster. Reynolds are specialists in long winding guitar-driven rock progressions, alternating between the intensely bracing and the soothingly pensive.
While the opening "This Flat Land" finds an excellent guitar hook couched in quietly rolling drums, as the track stretches out over eight minutes, the said hook becomes a little overused in its repetition. In what becomes a theme throughout the album, this track is also the first among the more low-key cuts to feature vocals that are barely perceptible and completely indecipherable. Whether intentional or not, the vocals are so low in the mix that a melody can only be sensed, not clearly heard, making many of the tracks appear to be instrumentals. Still, when the band decides to crank up the intensity a few notches, launching into post-hardcore stomping, the resulting vocal shrieks come through much more clearly.

Basically, Reynolds seems to maneuver between two gears, with half of the album being fairly grooveless mid-tempo post rock and the other half crunchy stop-start post-punk, and a few tracks incorporating elements of both. Lazy interweaving guitar lines float throughout "JGram," providing the kind of guitar instrumental Pavement might have made if they had been so inclined. At other times, with the meandering guitar progressions and loud/soft arrangements, you could almost hear Modest Mouse if you weren't paying too close attention. In short, the guitar work does occasionally command the focus of the listener.

No doubt, Reynolds boasts more than a few excellent improvisational players in their lineup, though their lack of variance in guitar textures tends to give their performances a "samey" feel. Similarly, the extensive performance and occasionally droning quality can alienate the less attentive listener. Still, the colors they work with suit them, and it's hard to blame them for not wrapping their tunes in a more florid packaging.

Overall, there are a fair number of bands working in this medium currently, and the sum effect is somewhat impersonal with the final product usually interesting if not essential listening. Sadly, since the release of Field Recordings, lead vocalist Matt Tagney has departed, leaving the band as a three-piece, but possibly opening the opportunity for the band to become a more straightforward improvisational instrumental unit. Doubtless, Reynolds won't be confused with any overly-academic recording of archaic regional folkways, but neither will they be mistaken for post-rock in its more artless configurations.