[bandcamp width=100% height=42 album=1877974004 size=small bgcol=333333 linkcol=ffffff track=1322907685]

Family Volleyballis afive piece,self proclaimed “band from Philadelphia”. Their newest full length, Juliana, is a lush, layered, lo-fi gem; a sampler offar away vocals and jangly guitars.

“Pretty”, the album’s second single starts with an overture, what sounds like a slow approaching carousel in full tilt. The vocals follow with longing and clarity (I can tell when you feel pretty/ I can tell when you’re in love), but this is not the lost love that asks all to be forgiven. There is a tangible distance to be felt between the “I” and “You” of Family Volleyball’s pining love song, space that comes through in the instrumental, made up mainly of a pair of intermingling guitars. An organ sits behind the surfy drums, paired with a lovely synth flute that follows the chorus melody. The song itself is fairly simple, two sections that repeat and slow down, but the beauty and richness of the song are found in familiarity. The descending melodies of the chorus will have any listener wanting to be thrust back into the track as soon as the last chord melts away.

Cereal Pairing: Froot Loops