Family Portrait - Family Portrait

More typically high quality audio from the Underwater Peoples label, this time it's the debut from Family Portrait. The arrival of this LP has explained away one mystery that has been bugging me every time I listen to the Alex Bleeker And The Freaks LP and that's 'who's that dude holding a dog on the front of the sleeve'. Well now I know it's Evan Brody, Julian Lynch's best buddy and Family Portrait head honcho. Family Portrait was put together by Evan in 2009 and features Lynch and Bleeker among a host of guest players from New Jersey suburban indie rock scene. The music scales the range of classic psych, country and pop styles sounding like everyone from Crosby, Stills and Nash to Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan and more. It's classic songwriting composition approached in a tasteful and loving style. Like the Alex Bleeker & The Freaks record it sounds both communal and personal in equal measure. It seems like everyone in the suburban NJ scene (Ducktails, Real Estate, Freaks) gets a chance to let their voice be heard with the full backing and commitment of the other players involved in said scene. The notion of clubbing in and helping your friends achieve their musical goals must be very satisfying. This is a winning LP for sure and certainly one worth forty minutes of anyone's time. Personal faves on first listen are 'Glide Part II' and 'Never Should Have Been There', both of which are worth the asking price alone. Keep 'em coming NJ dudes.