antiMusic.com: Straw Family - Family Matters Review

Straw Family - Family Matters

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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The title of this album can be taken a couple of different ways, and you'll realize how clever the title is once you know that Straw Family is indeed a family band. Consisting of parents Carsten and Henriette Fabricius and daughters Denise and Sally Fabricius, Straw Family is a Danish band that plays a refreshing blend of rock, pop and country. Most of the vocals are sung by Henriette, but the effort starts with Denise behind the mic on the amusing country rocker "Alive," a cut about paying the price for a life of partying that leads off with the line, "Woke up in my car today�" Henriette has a voice that can sound quite a bit like Dolly Parton, and that's especially notable on the old school country of "1965," but she rocks the blues too ("Bang Bang") and offers tender, crystal clear vocals on the yearning "It's Cold Outside." The set is filled with lots of sweet harmonies, sparkling electric and acoustic guitar work from Carsten, and Sally gets a vocal turn on "Spider Making New Web," a cut about moving on after a breakup. And even though many of the songs deal with less than ideal situations, there are no rough edges here, just a very pleasant listen.

Get it here.

Straw Family - Family Matters
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