Field Music are over 20 years into their career now – but with the telescoping of Pop Time that is about the equivalent of 6 months in the hurtling white heat of Beatle 60s or Bowie 70s. They’re 9 albums in which, aside from spin-offs and solo projects is a fairly modest output – there is serious quality control here (compared to those tedious neo-psych bands who release 9 albums before they’ve had breakfast) and each new record is clearly thought out and laboured over with obvious love.

Their latest one ‘Limits of Language’ did not immediately grab me on first listen – the sonic shtick on this one is adding synth textures, occasionally jarring sounds and the songs seemed to be formless grooves on which to showcase the lyrical content above hooks, melody and harmony. It’s the focus of the set tonight but the diehard fans around me have clearly immersed themselves in it and greet the new songs with gusto (“here’s one from our new LP” —“yessss!”). Sure enough there are several songs tonight which come to life on stage and reveal themselves properly. ‘Guardian of Sleep’ for instance evokes XTC circa ‘The Big Express’ – that gnarly, synth-heavy mid-period release – and it clicks – the is Field Music’s gnarly, synth-heavy mid period release too and maybe I’ll be calling it a classic in 10 years time.

Field Music have always been a brilliant, if low-key live band but for all the self-deprecating humour, prosaic asides and lyrics about shopping centres and cafes- when they get down to playing, they care and they mean it. The Brewis brothers take it in turn to front the band and take the drum stool – and the long-time touring band Andrew, Kev and Liz provide simpatico backing and the all-important vocal harmonies. It’s not too much of a stretch to compare the Brewis brothers to Becker and Fagan from Steely Dan or the likes of 10CC – filtered through Sunderland – they have a similar vocal tone and musical precision. Field Music have a deft way of playing like a bunch of massive musos without the slightest hint of flash or wankery – any solo or bit of meandering is all in service of the song.

The encore starts without the band leaving the stage (an increasingly common occurrence at gigs which I am very much in favour of)  – and as the band say, as requests are called out, they never had any hits – so they go with ‘The Noisy Days are Over’ and ‘..A New Thing’ which are close enough for this very appreciative crowd (the band seem visibly taken aback by Manchester tonight). So just another night in the long career of Field Music – one to file in the gigography – time to go back to that under-rated 9th LP…