Family Stereo - “Take Care”

United Kingdom-based Family Stereo originally began as an 8-track solo project before evolving into a full band. Today, they arrive on our blog with “Take Care,” a song that documents the breakdown of a relationship.

This track first drew us in with its lo-fi and vibey, almost demo-like production. And for its initial forty-five seconds, it’s as though Blake (no surname provided) is pouring his heart into the voice memo app of a cell phone, relying primarily on the utilization of an acoustic guitar and his voice; however, careful listeners will catch the artifacts that foreshadow the ensuing musical events. And it’s the absolute authenticity of this section that will keep listeners invested in order to hear the production expansion that occurs shortly after.

As the soundscape fills out, “Take Care” shifts from its lo-fi form to a vast, sonic atmosphere. At this point, the vocals are studio quality and we are able to detect a bit of Elliott Smith in the way that Blake utilizes a breathy decay on the ending syllables of certain words. You should definitely listen to this one through headphones if you want the complete, emotional experience. The drums are crisp and the bass is quite melodic– and be sure to save room for the layers of vocal harmonies– when done correctly, this is an element to which we can simply never say no.

One of our favorite parts about this number is the sheer honesty and vulnerability that Blake reveals through his voice. And one would not necessarily need to understand the lyrics documenting the grieving process of a dying love in order to know that this is the voice of a man experiencing loss. The emotional delivery is on point, the overall arrangement is dynamic, robust, and powerful, and we cannot wait to hear more from Family Stereo.

-HD