EP REVIEW: Welcome To The Family – The Family
Just because you’re well known for showcasing one particular genre of music to the world, doesn’t mean you won’t don’t well in other directions. The latest example of this theory to come to play is Sheffield based alternative rock outfit THE FAMILY; some of them have raised from the ashes of former hardcore act DEAD HARTS. Their upcoming EP will show you a completely different side musically but their rebellious, punk streak is alive, hungry and eager to get out.
As stated before, THE FAMILY are an alternative rock quartet that hail from Sheffield, UK. They formed from the ashes of the recently disbanded DEAD HARTS. This idea has originally come from vocalist Matthew Baxendale’s pursuit to create more melodic vibes, taking influences from QUEENS OF STONE AGE and NIRVANA. The EP itself provides the listener a great taster of their sound; it is literal proof that great things come in small packages. The EP only contains four tracks but each one has a very different story to tell.
It opens with a bit of belter that gives us a very cool, upbeat intro that will lift the darkest of moods up to a very high level. The track in question is titled Ain’t Gonna Happen. It contains a straight to the point, no nonsense kind of sound and you get to hear the first tints of the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE/FOO FIGHTERS influences. My Kinda Scum could easily become the rock anthem of the century. The sound is as raw as the message it portrays across. According to vocalist Bax, the song touches upon those sorts of people who seemingly have this presence on social media yet when you meet them in real life they aren’t who they claim to be. What’s particularly remarkable about this track is that it contains that punkish, rebellious vibe even with that groovy beat that anyone could dance to. The line My Kinda Scum alone has a great impact and one can imagine that this particular track will go down very well at live shows.
It might appear that Nightmares and Daydreams is going to take a slight turn towards the industrial side of the spectrum. The intro contains hard hitting riffs, ROB ZOMBIE-esque vocals and the chorus showcasing a similar musical structure to this rock/metal legend. Once the upbeat guitar riffs are heard, one can be sure that the original sounds of THE FAMILY are not far off. The EP concludes gallantly in a very rebellious fashion with their single Radio Headphones. This was recently heard on the airwaves thanks to Radio 1’s Rock Show. This raw, dirty single touches upon the issue of hearing the same mass produced material over and over again, whether we like it or not. The song as a whole reminds one of the classic Hate To Say I Told You So by fellow alternative rockers THE HIVES.
So, even though the EP is small with not very many songs, it contains a huge sound that is sure to be admired by many fans of rock and metal alike. Highly recommended for fans of QUEENS OF STONE and NIRVANA, or just those wanting to expand their musical collection with something a little bit different.
Rating: 8/10
Welcome To The Family is set for release on May 19th via self-release.
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