Familia (album)

Composition

"My new album Familia is the bolshier, more extrovert little sister to Wanderlust. It sees the Wanderlust girl move away from Eastern Europe to the warmer, sunnier climate of South America where she's swapped vodka for tequila." — Ellis-Bextor speaking about the album.

Critical reception

Fraser McAlpine of CSI Pop Music graciously awarded the album 4.5/5 saying that Ed Harcourt is "really good at bring out what is essential about Sophie Ellis-Bextor - that ability that Sophie has to deliver happy songs as if they're very sad and to wrench heartbreak into ballads. There's always a slightly melancholy edge to her voice anyway, so that’s naturally there in all of those songs. But there's that other side to her which is part disco part new wave. She's a kind of natural heir to Debbie Harry and Blondie in a lot of the ways" and praising Sophie's vocal delivery: "She has a unique voice; she doesn't sound like anybody else in the world. She's capable of delivering the emotions of her songs beautifully and there's always something slightly hooky about her lyrics as well."

John Aizlewood of London Evening Standard said, “The pop singer brings ice-cold vocals and massive dance beats on her sixth LP. Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s startling transformation from well-dressed pop poppet to mistress of imperious doom on 2014’s Wanderlust didn’t quite receive the acclaim it deserved."

Stephen Sears of Idolator said, "Ellis-Bextor returns to Harcourt with Familia (released September 2), an autumnal record, literally and figuratively. The crisp arrangements are organic, built on bass, guitar, piano and drums. But Harcourt and Ellis-Bextor reference a range of pop styles with details like the bubbling synths on “The Death Of Love” and the power chords that launch the album’s galloping opener, “Wild Forever.” The widescreen love song “Crystallise,” which ranks among Bextor’s finest, has a lush chorus ribboned with violin" and praised Sophie for taking the risk with her Wanderlust (Sophie Ellis-Bextor album) and this one saying, "What Familia ultimately recalls is the era of female singer-songwriters. Like predecessor Carly Simon, Ellis-Bextor knows that a lifelong career is built on a certain amount of risk-taking. “Why be so ordinary? Why just conform?” she questions on “Wild Forever.” Familia, released on her own record label, is the sound of an artist making the music she wants to make."

Sonia de Freitas of Renowned for Sound referred to the album as “highly enjoyable”, saying that “Familia is a successful new release by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. In it, she showcases her skill in writing music in a variety of styles, while showing restraint in the balance of instrumentation (using acoustic, electronic and more traditional timbres). The Latin American influence on the music is evident without becoming a caricature, which can happen if the music is not well crafted by a meticulous musician. Throughout the album Ellis-Bextor displays her versatility as a singer; her distinctive voice delivers the lyrical content meaningfully and with purpose.”

Classic Pop Magazine wrote that "It’s easy to forget Sophie Ellis-Bextor started out in the late-nineties as singer for the indie-rockers theaudience. She has always been something of a chameleon, however, scoring a massive hit in 2000 with Spiller’s immaculate disco-styled ‘Groovejet’ – which went on to become the decade’s most played single – and notching up more electro-pop hits before drafting in Ed Harcourt for 2014’s sophisticated but more low-key ‘Wanderlust’." The magazine favoured songs 'Here Comes the Rapture', 'Unrequited', 'Hush Little Voices', 'My Puppet Heart' and heralded 'Wild Forever' and 'Crystallise' as standout tracks. "The former – an effervescent, galloping pop tune, her voice at its sweetest as it rushes towards an ecstatic chorus – remains closest to the dancefloor-friendly Ellis-Bextor template with which we’re most familiar. The latter – a lush, mid-paced slice of piano-led elegance – confirms that she remains one of our more refined pop stars. Theaudience may be forgotten, but Ellis-Bextor’s audience has every reason to remain loyal."

Track listing

The album was released in the following formats; Digital download on iTunes and CD, LP and mp3 download via Sophie Ellis-Bextor's official online store.

All songs written and composed by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Ed Harcourt. All songs produced by Harcourt.

Releases

Signed copies of the Vinyl and Deluxe CD formats were made available via Ellis-Bextor's website.