Review Summary: Look at the monster you're spooning - you never really know someone til' you're both ruined
What comes to mind when you read the album title
Family & Friends? You may be one of the unfortunate many whose family’s love wasn’t quite unconditional, or whose friends have all slowly and painfully drifted away, but even then, the title should still resurface some of the nostalgia and optimism that family and friends were
supposed to bring you. Thankfully, if optimism wasn’t a card in the hand you were dealt, Serengeti successfully cashes the check that his album title assuredly writes.
Family & Friends is a quietly contemplative listen, a somber scrapbook that’s aware not only of how weary this life can get, but also of all the unexpected silver linings.
“Ever since my dog died, I haven’t had to be at home/I don’t just walk around the block, I tick to my own clock.” Each song is filled with different personal observations, some zig-zagging between cynicism and realism, and others that revel in life’s utter frivolity. The album has a lo-fi aesthetic that perfectly complements this purposeful lack of conviction; the most moving sounds, like the piano and synths in ‘Flutes,’ the chopped up female vocals in ‘Ha-Ha,’ and the distant echo of ‘California,’ all put big sentiments in small packages that still
hit you regardless.
The lyrics are often just as on-point as the album’s cozy, lived-in atmosphere, like in opener ‘Tracks:’
“Goddammit, you make people nervous/Turn into a serpent, turn into a circus,” but sometimes they fall into not-quite-captivating storytelling sessions. ‘A.R.P.’ suffers a bit from this loss of lyrical acuity, with ho-hum descriptions like
“Homegirl had hops, she could touch the rim/Strong-ass legs ‘cause she always swim,” and
“I skateboarded and hurt my knee/I sat right next to a willow tree,” but the flow is still entertaining enough to keep you listening.
Another trait of the album that matches its lo-fi personality is how concise it is. No song is longer than three minutes, excluding ‘The Whip,’ and no time is wasted with shout-outs or unnecessary hook-repeating. Serengeti shows an impressive knack for packing lots of feelings into small amounts of time; if it weren’t for the album’s self-awareness and pretty much complete lack of ego, it might leave your head spinning.
“When things aren’t going quite as planned, you often hear the truth from your family and friends.” Whether your connection with your family is shining or severed,
Family & Friends offers up a bit of truth for us all to enjoy.
