Golden Famile

Regardless of the quantity of beer consumed, nothing will erase the memories of long bus rides to Ottawa, day or night. The rural small town views offered by the streaky windows are evoked by Golden Famile's self-titled debut, and its sparse and eerie arrangements make the snowy ghosts of the valley hauntingly real. The Ottawa trio of Darrell Angus, Richard Jeffrey and Mike Sheridan makes creative use of banjo, accordion and ukulele, along with the usual line-up of guitar, bass and drums. While the production value may be low (the CD was recorded to eight-track), it works with the acoustic moody feel of the music. Unfortunately this makes the lyrics somewhat hard to hear, but Golden Famile is a good debut and a strong launching point for a more polished sophomore release.