Review Summary: Happy Halloween
Family Dynamics isn't a household name, or even one that's all that well-known within underground indie-rock circles. Existing as an offshoot of an almost equally anonymous outfit, Stars Like Fleas, the band recorded their debut LP
Service between 2010-2012 and finally released it in 2023. The act at one time shared stages with Grimes, Julianna Barwick, Pat Noecker, and Sylvan Esso. That's about as much background information as needed to dive into
Service, which has an eerie atmosphere and incantation-styled choruses that are all too appropriate for a pre-Halloween release. It's equally as beautiful, making the way in which
Service unravels all the more mystifying. This isn't an album that's likely to captivate the casual listener or hold one's attention with earworm melodies, yet there's
something about it that's arresting. It draws you in, slowly, and absorbs you into its spectral ambiance.
At seven tracks in length that barely top thirty minutes,
Service glides by smooth like the foggy imagery it evokes. Opener 'Questions (Invocation)' is a thing of utter beauty, with harmonized chants overlaying sparkling keys and unsettling sound bites, serving as an accurate overture of sorts for the dark and enigmatic music that comprises
Service. Family Dynamics are at their best when they're able to toe the line between ominous ethereal vibes and elegant folk accents. 'Faenza' and 'Downstream' serve as the album's lifeblood because they exude those traits in spades; the former is underscored by chimes and pianos – weaving its way through distant, fleeting harmonic chants while surging to a synthy crescendo – while the latter feels more rooted in traditional 2010's indie-rock aesthetics, replete with a massive chorus that sounds like some sort of musical commune rising from the shadows with a message of hope. While these two tracks represent the best that
Service has to offer, there's no shortage of gripping musicianship and/or general
weirdness elsewhere, whether it's the raucously clashing dynamics of 'Rushing Down' or the way that closer 'Punchline' abruptly transitions from placid, pastoral keys to an abrasive, overbearing organ. If you're into strange indie music with unconventional structuring, then there's bound to be something on
Service that'll raise a few hairs on your neck. For that alone, it's a worthwhile exploration.
Service may very well be the first and last release we get from Family Dynamics, but that plays all too well into the overall mystique of this album. It's certainly a bizarre (for added proof, just look up the lyrics on bandcamp) but also breathtaking listen, recorded over a decade ago and dropped on unsuspecting ears now like some sort of time-traveling essence. Put this on, dim the lights, and gaze to the moon, because
Service is about to put a spell on you.
