ALBUM REVIEW: God Looks Out For Fools – Family Dinner

Long Island alternative rock outfit FAMILY DINNER have put out their debut album God Looks Out For Fools. The quartet like to take a blend of genres that are heavily associated with growing up on the beach and, as a result, have created something that feels unique and fun. It’s a rare gift for a band to have in taking heavy influence from several sources and then create something entirely their own, and given this is only their debut, we know that there is so much more to come.

Every song on the record has its own style and personality, which is another way of saying that no song sounds the same, from the opening track Horny Beach Trash that offers energetic nostalgia with catchy lyrics, anthemic harmonies and an earworm of a hook that has you reminded of early BLINK-182, all the way to the end with Early Sunsets Over Harbor Isle that starts out ethereal before switching halfway to bouncy alternative rock.

FAMILY DINNER are in place where their music has nostalgia yet feels perfectly placed in modern day rock, all while avoiding the trap of being a carbon copy of other artists within the genres that inspire them. There’s a strong influence from 90s and 00s rock in terms of capturing those radio friendly rock songs that would be a constant presence in your summer playlist. A perfect example is found in the title track that features lyrics appearing to give an ode to friendships, a perfect song to play whilst on a late-night drive with those most important to you as you celebrate being alive.

Another interesting section is found in the tracks Morning Haze and Dark Waves. The first of these – a moody alternative rock track – features a guitar rhythm that feels similar to that of NIRVANA’s Come As You Are. This then blends into the latter where the opening guitar notes of that same song are played distorted, and what FAMILY DINNER does next is brilliant as they then layer their own instruments over the sample, bringing it all together to create something as moody as it is beautiful.

If that hasn’t sold you, then the endless selection of alternative, 90s rock, and punk rock tracks will. FAMILY DINNER are an exciting force in the current wave of new artists and they are already in a league of their own. We can only say that this band is exciting and has so much more to give in the years to come.

Rating: 9/10

God Looks Out For Fools is out now via Other People Records.

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