Seven years is a long time. It’s the period that’s elapsed since Oxford’s Family Machine last released any music. Their 2008 debut, ‘You Are the Family Machine’ was well received, so where have they been? Well, there have been solo projects and film scores for a start, and of course, sometimes it just takes that long. Life and all that.
‘Houses that You Lived In’ is a bold collection of pop songs. Not that synthetic, mass-produced, studio-based crap that poses as pop that you get on R1 or whatever, but vintage pop played with real instruments, with a real emphasis on melody, harmony and sunny vibes.
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There are some folky elements in the mix, some simple moments of picked acoustic guitar and vocal and some lovey tunes (we’re talking about good, old-fashioned tunes, not choonz here), and it’s refreshing in its honesty and what you might call traditional values. Easy on the ear without being easy listening, it’s charming, accomplished and uplifting.
Family Machine Online
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