Radical Face Album Review

              Radical Face is a musical act consisting of Ben Cooper, a talented singer/songwriter who keeps plenty busy in his four successful bands.  In 2007, Cooper released his first album under Radical Face, titled “Ghost”.  This album gained quick notoriety thanks especially to its inspirational hit “Welcome Home”.  After a long hiatus, Radical Face released their second full-length album, “The Family Tree: The Roots”, this past October.

            The album is similar to “Ghost” with beautiful vocal harmonies and a heavy reliance on a steady backbeat.  But “Family Tree” is not a mere copy of their first album.  The songs seem to capitalize on their strengths, yet improve on melodic complexity, something that let their other album become dry at some moments.  The standout songs on the album are “Always Gold” and “Ghost Towns “.  “Always Gold” starts off slowly working the chords up the keyboard.  One bass drum is hit repeatedly to get your foot tapping, followed immediately by Cooper’s impressive guitar work.  But where the first album might have trailed off repeating the same phrase, this song explodes with a powerful 2 bar chorus and jumps right back into a new verse.  This song does not follow a simple verse chorus structure, which keeps it consistently interesting.  But the track that stood out most to me was “Ghost Towns”.  Much darker than the other songs, piano and guitar wind their way down a minor key progression and create a feel that would be appropriate if you were strolling through a park on a cold October night.  But with a syncopated, clapping rhythm and swirling vocals, emotions run all over the place and you’re almost driven to tears.  This song was an emotional rollercoaster that will make you stop, listen, and melt.

            It is rare an album grabs my attention the first time I listen.  But I can say in all honesty that “The Family Tree” has done that.  Since I bought it, I have not been able to put it down.  The diversity of emotions the songs will bring you through is addicting.  Although Radical Face is currently touring in Europe, we can expect a U.S. tour soon that I am sure will be nothing short of phenomenal.  So if you are looking for emotionally driven music with beautiful melodies and straightforward rhythms, pick up a copy of “The Family Tree: The Roots” and enjoy.