The New Familiars – The Storm
My first thought after hearing The Storm, The New Familiars’ six song EP, was,”Damn, I wish this was longer.” So I played it again. The Storm is a tantalizing introduction to the trippy folk rock of this Charlotte quartet; the band alternately calls to mind bygone honkytonk balladeers and the spirit of North Carolina peers The Avett Brothers. “Got This Disease” is (pardon the pun) one of the most infectious tunes I have heard in ages; it has been bouncing around my head for weeks, so much so that I have found myself spontaneously singing the chorus (“I’m going downtown/got this disease”) aloud around strangers, drawing more than an odd look or two. But that’s okay—I don’t mind sharing the fever this band gives me.
