Family Force 5, in case you’re living under a rock, are exactly what their name implies. They are an over-the-top quintet whose majority are brothers, who love to party and make that notion known through cheesy but fun “crunk rock.” The crunk was emphasized in their debut LP Business Up Front / Party in the Back, while they stepped into dance music with the appropriately titled follow-up Dance or Die. Both releases had mostly positive responses. After over three years without a major release they released III, a more urban take on their previous sound. This stylistic turn carried mixed responses, with many being disappointed in alleged lyrical turns toward the gutter and sub-par music. The same week of the release of III, the release of this, the III.V EP was announced.
III.V seems to be an answer to the critics of the band. 2 new songs and 3 complete, toned-down re-workings of oldies present themselves here. “Zombie” is a club-ready song more in the vein of their earlier material from Business Up Front… that, while plays to the obsession America has with zombie apocalypses also carries obvious metaphors to Christian salvation. “Cray Button” sounds like it could have come straight from an LMFAO record. Dubstep and party-rocking galore (although the lyrics are squeaky clean) take center stage. All in all, these are two solid new tracks. Things take an interesting turn in the “acoustic” remixes of “Love Addict”, “Kountry Gentleman”, and “Fever.” The term remix is actually somewhat of a misnomer. These songs are completely redone, in stripped down format. It’s kind of hard to explain here, but suffice to say none of these tracks sound contrived. It’s fun to hear the less glazed over vocals of the guys, which sound neither auto-tuned nor boring. The guys recently embarked on a special acoustic tour and these three tracks give us a good idea of what the live show probably sounded like. All in all, this EP is a return to form for the band and even casual fans should give it a chance.
Score: 4/5
Family Force 5
