Time has a funny way of changing what matters most, and Reading indie-rock outfit The Race captures that shift beautifully on FAMILY, a four-track EP shaped by parenthood, ageing, friendship, faith, and the ties that keep us grounded. Having reunited in 2024 after a lengthy hiatus, the band returns with a fresh perspective, trading the concerns of their younger selves for the messy, meaningful realities of grown-up life. With ten children between the members, there’s certainly no shortage of inspiration, and these songs feel lived-in rather than imagined.
“Best Is Yet To Come” sets the tone with thumping drums and shimmering, melodic guitars that create a spacious, almost suspended-in-time atmosphere. The singer’s husky voice glides gently across the arrangement, his measured delivery lending the track a calming, reflective quality. Beneath that dreamy surface lies a reassuring message about friendship, difficult seasons, and the hope of eventually finding calmer waters.
From there, FAMILY moves through hazy reflections on ageing and generational bonds in “D of E,” before “Family Tree” brings heavier, shoegaze-inflected guitars into the picture. Its message to a child, that they are enough simply by being here, gives the EP one of its most affecting moments. Closing track “Where You Go I Go” carries that sentiment forward, exploring the bittersweet business of watching children venture into the world. As the arrangement grows from exposed intimacy into something more expansive, its promise of unwavering support becomes a heartfelt final statement.
What makes FAMILY resonate is its understanding that love can’t smooth every bump in the road, but it can offer somewhere safe to return to.
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Review by: Naomi Joan