Families - Deceitful Children Album

Hear The Track Here

Last couple of tracks out the bag this month are both requests through the Rebel Riffs blog. I am trying desperately to clear up the immense pile before it falls and crushes me and this one is months old so apologies to families everywhere. Families are a three piece band, consisting of Justin Rose, Erica Johnson, and Ian Smith and as the name may have suggested they are an American folk band. I say American there for a reason because there is an ocean of difference between that and European folk. Now, for all those who went ewwww when I mentioned the f word, grow up. And for the wag who has been passing around dried straw to 'chaw' on, I'm watching you....

There is a strain of music called Americana which, I think, has slowly become (or becoming) the new sound of folk and most of it is very impressive indeed so I started the review on this track with high hopes. I know, foolish but hey, I'm a devil-may-care kinda guy. Lot's Daughters is the first track out and it's a beaut; sparse in the right places but with the requisite propulsion being supplied by guitars and mandolins. It's the vocals though, that do it for me, awesome in a fine American tradition, if I'd had a porch I would have been on it, know what I mean? Their Facebook page states 'They are folk story tellers, with souls of grass and minds made out of the mountains, weaving personal tales from the Bible' and with titles such as Lot's Daughter, The Nazirite, Passover Pass Over and Oh Nebuchadnezzar you can bet this is unashamedly Christian in approach.

As it happens, this reviewer has some across some really, really good Christian bands (Cam's Even Song for instance who incidentally was my Artist Of The Year 2006) and anyone remember the excellent One Kid's Lunch? I am going to be more than happy to add Families to those august names because - Christian content notwithstanding - these are terrific musicians and vocalists, not to mention premium songwriters. If there is one song you have to hear if the whole Christian thing doesn't do it you, the music certainly will. Try the beautifully done Absalom, if this isn't true American country music, I really don't know what is. Great song, awesome performance. Those two words could be applied to almost every track on this eleven track set. Christian country never sounded better...

MUST HAVE modern American folk.