Virgins Family Band - Honeylion
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It's a little difficult to get your head around Virgins Family Band at times. First of all, it's mighty tough to categorize this six-piece's sound. On the one hand, there are traces of Vampire Weekend and Local Natives, two acts that mix an acoustic sensibility with various world music touches. One factor that separates Virgins Family Band from these other acts, however, is an overt jazz affinity that creeps into its sound now and then.
One of the jazziest tracks on this effort is "Temper." This is one where Gabriel Anderson' electric piano takes a front and center role. The guitars also rev up a bit. The way the band jams at the end is also quite Vampire Weekend-like.
Anderson and vocalist/guitarist Saman Khoujinian are the founding members of Virgins Family Band, and you can hear it. These songs are quite keyboard and guitar driven, over which Khoujinian's light singing floats. Khoujinian and Anderson met as high school seniors in Miami, Florida � a musical melting pot, if ever there was one � and after exchanging musical ideas over the succeeding years after graduation, they decided to finalize these collaborations into an actual band. The group is now based in North Carolina.
Curiously, although this act has a bit of a jam band vibe going for it, few of these songs are what you would term jam band long. Only "Eyes like Troubled Dreams" clocks in at longer than five minutes, in this case going 18 seconds past that marker. For the most part, these songs stick to an average of the three-minute mark.
It's a little tough to pick up on what Virgins Family Band is singing about. A song title like "Moon Breath" is vague to begin with, but even the songs with fairly standard titles are relatively indecipherable. They sing and play pretty, but none of these tracks stick with you too much because the words don't stand out all that much.
There is sweetness to Virgins Family Band's sound, but one walks away wishing there was just a little more of toughness in it, as well. Even a group like Vampire Weekend, which they often get compared to, has an aggressive side. About as close as Virgins Family Band comes to being rough is with the power chords that drive "Lily Molusco." Although this track also includes a bit of an electric guitar solo on it, these power chords are played with acoustic guitars, which can only be so tough.
Virgins Family Band is a diamond in the rough. Once they discover a distinct lyrical focus, they could really be dangerous. Until then, though, they're a nice, pretty-sounding alternative pop act, without much of an individualistic identity. Those that enjoy Vampire Weekend and Local Natives will likely really enjoy what this band lays down; the similarities are striking.
The Virgin Family Band's musicianship is beyond question, as they can seemingly perform anything they put their mind to. This band probably has a great album in them yet. Sadly, Honeylion is not it.
Virgins Family Band - Honeylion
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