Radical Face - The Family Tree: The Roots

In my post about Sasquatch 2013, I mentioned that I was quite taken aback by this band known as Radical Face that I stumbled upon, (and almost purposefully skipped due to (mis)judging the band by its name and bio-picture).

I have since followed up and listened to this band A LOT. The Family Tree: The Roots has become my top album of the last 3 months (at 250 plays!).

The Roots is a storytelling masterpiece. It is a haunting account of the hardship of (someone's) ancestors, (who I picture homesteading in frontier-culture Appalachia). From wikipedia: [This album is about] "the first two generations of the Northcotes' family tree and is narratively based in the 1800s". Although the tales are fictional, they manage to paint such a vivid picture that you feel as if narrator has personally lived through all of these events.

As far as concept albums go, it is pretty consistent throughout, even though the song topics range from purely depressing to just plain creepy. Musically, it is good as well, with songs the build from eerie intros to beautiful piano portions.

It is the first installment of an ongoing concept-trilogy which I have become very excited to see through. After The Family Tree: The Roots, will be The Branches (Oct. 2013), followed by The Relatives. Also throughout the project, they will release volumes of EPs under the heading The Bastards. Radical Face provides better descriptions of the project and the albums here. I think there is amazing potential in this concept and if he can maintain the same quality/consistency, I will be very impressed with this project.

If you are looking for an uplifting album, you are in the wrong place. This is one of those beautifully-hauntingly-depressing (and sometimes creepy) albums, which I cannot take out of heavy-rotation because I am entranced by the stories. Here are some of themes woven into the narrative (as interpreted by me, at an estimated 15 full-listen-throughs of the album):

• His mother dying during his birth.
• Being abused by his alcoholic distant father.
• Watching his twin brother die of some illness.
• The hanging suicide of his father.
• Being haunted by the ghosts of his grandparents.

...among other happy occurrences.

Read the full album lyrics of The Family Tree: The Roots here.

The Roots is up there with The Antlers - Hospice as one of the most depressing modern albums (which is another amazing concept album, albeit a fucking dark and depressing one).

Enjoy, but seriously beware, because these are some real downers.