Think About Life — Family

If you thought The Go! Team's hodgepodge style of samples and unfocused barrage of vocal warfare was too difficult to dance to, take note: Montreal sample-heavy trio Think About Life utilize an almost equally chaotic smattering of found sounds, yet present their tome on the highs and lows of modern young adulthood in a more palatable pop structure.

Think About Life's catchy and childlike self-titled 2006 debut only scratched the surface of what's clearly more than just a mere side project for Think About Life member and Miracle Fortress frontman Graham Van Pelt.

Family was inspired by the aforementioned Go! Team and more obvious hip-hop nods of both the old school variety and the likes of Kanye West. It has a lyrical and thematic maturity that's not found in their first effort, and that isn't lessened by the chipmunk vocal samples, the wacky toy box of sound effects and the relentless positivity of the beats.

Family was designed by adults and made with them. There's a hint of weariness in Martin Cesar's vocals and lyrics that transforms the bouncy and grin-inducing "Havin' My Baby" (featuring one of the longer vocal samples you'll ever hear) and the more traditionally rocking "Sofa-Bed" into bittersweet treasures of mutual understanding.

The truth is twenty- and- thirty-somethings work hard, and Lady GaGa and MC Mario's Mixdown aren't going to cut it when it's time to let loose. Think About Life's Family fills that growing void to perfection, both poetically and musically.

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