Formally the bassist in Rodriguez alongside M. Ward and a celebrated vocal addition for The Microphones, Kyle Field had mastered the off-kilter folk sound long before it broke into indie culture. His sepia-toned project knows as Little Wings took flight in the late ’90s and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In fact, he put a new album out this year.
One of his most acclaimed works among his fan base is 2002’s Wonderue, originally released on the beloved K Records. An impossibly joyous collection of songs, Wonderue trips and ramshackles through a dreamy, inventive kaleidoscope of sounds and still feels as fresh as it did in the early aughts. On top of the eclectic instrumentation from drum machines to flutes to upright pianos, Field’s inimitable vocals take center stage. If you love Bonnie Prince’s leathery harmonies and Phil Elvrum’s left-of-the-dial delivery, Little Wings belongs in your collection.
