F & M
Every Light Must Fade
Shameless Records

Ryan and Rebecca Anderson make up F and M, a band named after a funeral home. As you can imagine the sound is hardly happy, but stirring nonetheless. The couples' voices seem made for each other, her slight and his dark and deep.

"Shrug It Off" is a vain attempt to reconcile oneself with life's hardships set to a memorable tune. It's akin to something by Will Oldham. "Bad Advice From A Bad Singer" belies its title by being quite moving and having a great vocal. It's all very minor keys, but good with it. "Rising to the Moon" sees Rebecca Anderson take lead with moving results, as they play a soft dirge. "This Autumn" is soft and sweet and really lets the band play to their strengths. This might be a sad album, but it's also about celebrating life and making the most of it. There can be no finer message.

Copyright © 2010 Anna Maria Stjärnell