At a time when families are being ripped apart, both physically and emotionally, it’s good to hear a song like “Loving Family.” A mother protecting her child and doing what it takes to provide for them is a story that’s been told before, but not put so straightforward in song. Joey Lyons, who wrote, produced, and mixed this track, had this to say about its origins: “The song may touch on the sense of security and safety that a mother endlessly works to provide to her children. Even as a mother is being harmed or confronted by someone actively intending to do harm to a mother or her family, she will create an alternate world for her children where things are safe and secure…The attacks on the sanctity of motherhood happening right now are beyond reproach. It’s easy to step outside of yourself and take the attacks personally, as so many of us have experienced the traumas associated with bad people attempting to disrupt this unparalleled bond.”

It’s been a year and a half since I last brought The Fuss to this page, and I’m happy to hear that they’ve been doing great work since then.

Musically, “Loving Family” is a similar-but-not-the-same kind of song that you could hear on their self-titled debut album. The topics are very different, but the sparkling guitars and love of new wave are still there (though they might be a little better hidden now). The melody is breezy and chill, making it ideal for repetitive listening. The vocals whisper like a lullaby over a smooth and sweet composition.

The ending is the part that gets me, though. All the instruments drop out for a while, as the vocals harmonize the lines “I’ll show you everything in my heart, I’ll show you everything in my head.” Once the guitar and drums come back in, it’s almost impossible for me not to crack a smile.