Album Review: Family Machine – Houses That You Lived In
2 min read
English indie acoustic pop group Family Machine are renowned for their tender and relaxed sound, captivating audiences in their home turf and soon the world. Their debut album was released back in 2008, and their well overdue follow-up album Houses That You Lived In is just about ready to hit your playlists! It was a decent break between releases due to the quartet embarking on various other musical projects, but their return is welcome and we can’t wait to hear their new material.
Known for their atmospheric and harmonic sound, album opener Friends With The Wolves is no different to their existing formula, failing to let their serial listeners down. Across the album you’ll encounter walls of voices, subtle and upbeat drum lines and interesting guitar riffs; arrangements that are sure to keep you occupied. Tender moments were shared, particularly on tracks like Quiet As A Mouse and Skeletons & That. Single The Less You Know isn’t the most upbeat song out there, but it does carry the group’s sound too a tee, so it works as the album’s lead. Houses That You Lived In is only nine tracks long, after listening to it you aren’t quite sure whether you’re willing for more or if the album is complete as is.
Family Machine have stayed true to the sound that their fans have fallen in love with, Houses That You Lived In is a decent dose of acoustic indie pop; while the vocals weren’t belted as powerfully as possible, they were backed by some wicked harmonic work, even the most subtle sounds on the album were delivered as sounding fuller and brighter. There were even times where the pace picked up, which was a lifesaver for the album, nobody likes listening to an acoustic-based release that sticks to the same guns from beginning to end. An overall decent release by Family Machine, can’t wait to see where their sound is headed next!
