The Family Force 5's Christmas Pageant (Album Review)

Family Force 5’s Christmas Pageant by Family Force 5

Released Oct. 6th, 2009


Sound: What we have here is some holiday Hip - Rock - Rap - Pop. That is really the best way to put it since these country boy ghetto’s don’t fit any one of those genres exclusively. Compared to their previous musical sounds, though, this is more rap and pop, really electronic. The boom boom and synth riffs on the first track, Carol of the Bells, is what you will hear throughout most of the record. There are only a few guitars, mostly on My Favorite Things. And only the faintest of a “scream” on Do You Hear What I Hear? Oozing synth and drum machines rule on Little Drummer Boy. Vocally, having 3 contributing guys (who are all brothers) caroling solo and in unison is really hard to pull off. But of course The Family can do it (albeit with the help of voice programming)! Rating 8/10

Lyrics: As far as the “classic” Christmas songs go, these have just been “ghetto’d” lyrically. A few gang shouts, a lot of “ya’ll”s, and some added rhymes/raps here and there are all that’s been changed from those timeless carols. So if you have a beef with those, you will have to take it up the original artists. It’s Christmas Day and The Baby are the only two “non - classic” songs on the record. It’s Christmas Day talks a lot about being happy with your family, joy and “peace on earth and good will to all men, for we all can remember the greatest, the greatest gift of all...” The song sounds genuinely sincere but it still is no classic cut. The more “blingy” carol, The Baby, is where FF5 hits a little closer to what they are good at, lyrically. Just imagine the Wise Men of old coming from their “hood”, to bring “a dump truck full of presents”, because they are “all about the Baby.” Again, this isn’t a Silent Night classic and no other band will probably ever cover it, but hey, this is pretty good stuff for this “genre.” Rating 7/10

Impression: This album is a stand alone for it’s kind. You will be dancing and singing along, even on the not so Christmas song hit, My Favorite Things which was taken from the film The Sound of Music. This has all the hipe and “crunk” of their previous non holiday albums plus the bells and glitter of Christmas. Well done boys, you have a hall decking, one of kind record here! I won’t give it a 10/10 for two reasons; Do You Hear What I Hear and Wonderful Christmas Time are two of the worst classic Christmas songs out there. Fortunately, FF5 almost made them “good.” Rating 9/10

Best hits: The Baby, Little Drummer Boy, Twas the Night Before Christmas

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