Family and Friends: A Medium-Sized Thing

Athens-based indie rock ensemble Family and Friends first got “next medium-sized thing” consideration back in 2014. They might just fulfill that promise with the June 8th release of new album Felix Culpa. While past hype hinged on the band’s dedication to folk-based sounds, they’re loaded for bear now with a collection of songs that sound more like cinematic indie rock.

“Winding Road” and other standout tracks maintain folk-quality storytelling while building to a richer musical crescendo. It’s not a mish-mash of elements for the sake of sounding big and bold – the calling card of the self-fart sniffing session crowd. Instead, the band shows a lot of imagination with the horn accompaniment on “PRSM” and the percussive variety driving “Sunsara” and “Youth and Young.”

The band did a fine job in moving forward creatively without abandoning its folk grounding – a move that’ll impress new listeners without alienating faithful followers.

It looks to be a busy month for the group, with their itinerary including a Thurs., June 7 release show at the Cotton Club beneath the Tabernacle and an outdoor stage set at AthFest on Sat., June 23.