By: Angelina Berube
Posted In: Entertainment
Photo credit: Rennie Solis
Family of the Year
Family of the Year recently released their first full length debut album, “Songbook,” on independent label, Washashore Records. The CD consists of 15 songs which will brighten anyone’s day. This feel good album can easily be listened to at work or on a long drive to the beach. With members from all across America, including Massachusetts, California, Florida and Mississippi, Family of the Year blends classic folk with catchy melodies on this CD. Think ecletic rock meets classic folk. The album is reminiscent of ’60s and ’70s feel good music as it channels The Beach Boys’ sound and melodies and infuses it with heartfelt folk tales to make up a sound that is all Family of the Year’s own.
Their sound is also critically acclaimed by others in the music industry. Ben Folds and Keith Lockhart, the conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, handpicked the band to open for Folds performance with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in Boston, Mass. Lead singers Vanessa Jeanne Long and Joe Beaulieu Keefe’s vocals blend together so well on this album. Their chemistry shows through the whole album, as they harmonize and when their vocals go back and forth as one with sing the chorus and the other the verse. The up tempo song “Stupidland,” brilliantly showcases the beauty and despair in their music which resonates throughout the entire album. Throughout the song, the pounding drums, acoustic guitars and harmonizing voices draw listeners in the story being told. The song’s opening lyrics sum up the message of song-“stupid land of all my dreams.” Throughout the rest of the CD, each song tells its own story. “Treehouse” recollects childhood memories, while Long and Keefe sing about a pair of old blue jeans on “Intervention (Staple Jeans).” On the fun “Intervention (Staple Jeans),” the band tells the story of a favorite pair of jeans wearing out and not wanting to replace them when the time comes. One lyric reads, “You will never be replaced, the things we’ve been through.” On “Treehouse,” the listener is transported back to his or her childhood. Clever lyrics such as, “A box car made of plain brown box, with a button made for ‘Back to the Future’ mode,” and “Meet me out back by the Sycamore Tree, we can carve out names there you plus me,” tell the story from the perspective of young boys and girls. Long’s vocals on the chorus are enchanting and dreamlike, with the innocence of the perspective she is telling her side of the story from. Fun and lighthearted at times, the songs also resonate a serious undertone. Through the sounds of pianos, guitars, drums, and melodies, the CD stays upbeat while discussing deeper meanings in its lyrics. “Songbook” can be purchased digitally on Family of the Year’s website for any amount. As an added bonus for a higher donation of $10, one will receive a physical copy of the album with all the artwork designed by Long and Brent Freaney. A donation of $25 or more will receive a tote bag or t-shirt designed by Long and Freaney. For more information on Family of the Year and “Songbook,” check out their official website, familyoftheyear.net and their myspace, myspace.com/familyoftheyear.
