Creatively-boisterous siblings Peter and David Brewis – aka Field Music – have indulged in fits of whimsical experimentation for this, their brand new LP. Their steep ambition has come at a price, however: Plumb is defined by a disorienting incoherence, making for a decidedly challenging listening experience.

The record concerns itself with a mischievous whimsy, lofty and forever fearless. In fact, Plumb is not too dissimilar to an elaborate prog-rock opera, an eternal slave to redefinition. Field Music go too far, too often, however and it’s those stretches in which the duo abandon their grandeur for simpler inclinations easily rank as the album’s finest moments. The potty, zig-zagging gem A New Town and the lively Who'll Pay The Bills emerge fine examples of such a trend.

The crux of Plumb’s downfall is easily expressed: aesthetically, it might sound great, but too often it’s excessively confounding. Field Music appear hell-bent upon mutilating their compositions. The duo’s penchant for pure symphonic bliss occasionally offers some redemption and relief from the madness, but for the most part, Field Music stubbornly stand by their twisted alt-rock architecture.

Plumb is a complex indie rock record with a steep learning curve that demands an abundance patience and attention over multiple spins. For that reason, it can reasonably can fall on the side of frustrating with listeners, suffering for an over-zealous ambition to remain fresh and forever earnest.

BY NICK MASON 

Best Track:A New Town

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In A Word: Difficult