Together At Home (soundtrack album)

Together At Home is a soundtrack album composed by Calvin Matthew for the third season of the television series Family Life. The soundtrack was released on October 25, 2019 and features original instrumental compositions written specifically to accompany the season’s narrative themes. The music was often used throughout episodes in the series as background music, emotional transitions, and for closing sequences in episodes, and has since become associated with the show’s third season in particular. The album has also mainly gained widespread recognition for its track, Deep Thinking, which had gained more than a million streams digitally. The track is also known to be notably long lasting above five minutes.

The soundtrack is also known to mark Matthew’s return to television composition following his work on earlier seasons of Family Life. Compared to previous soundtracks in the series,Together at Home was described by critics to have “warmer melodic structures” and slower tempos, resulting it to become the series’ most popular soundtrack album. Since its release, the album was been referenced in discussions about the transitioning emotions and change in direction of Family Life, with some commentators crediting the album for depicting the emotional change in direction in the series. While the album was not released as a major commercial album, the album has maintained a modest presence through digital distribution and streams.

The album was recorded over a period of six months in a small studio located at Bloxburg, with several sessions taking place late at night to capture a quieter, more intimate sound. Some tracks were inspired by everyday life scenes depicted in the show, including morning routines, family dinners, and neighborhood walks. While primarily instrumental, a few tracks incorporate subtle field recordings such as birdsong, wind, and distant chatter to enhance the sense of home and domesticity. Fans have noted that certain melodies appear to reference motifs from the first season of the series. A critic in The Blocky Words said “this album creates a subtle continuity across the show’s soundtracks” in 2020, several months after its release. Shortly after release, several promotional materials included sheet music snippets of select tracks, which were shared on the official Family Life social media accounts.

Composition

The compositions featured on Together at Home consist entirely of original instrumental pieces written specifically for the third season of Family Life. The soundtrack contains slower tempos, minimalistic arrangements, and an emphasis on “warm melodic structures”. Most of the themes are led by the piano, soft string layers, and subtle ambient textures which aim to create an introspective sound. During composition, Matthew prioritised giving an emotional touch than emphasising on drama.

Many tracks were structured to function as background music and to give effects to emotional transitions Several compositions were also used during closing sequences of episodes which purpose was to give a reflective tone. Critics noted that the soundtrack’s introspective style allowed it to quietly blend into the series while remaining as a distinctive piece of work. The album was released on October 25, 2019.

Reception

Shortly after the release of Together at Home and its use in the series, it received generally positive responses from the viewers of the series and critics, particularly music ones. Most critics focused and praised the calm tone and melodies of the soundtracks under the album, compared to previous soundtracks. Several reviewers stated that the music could “successfully” blend into the series without drawing any attention from the main narrative. Many fans highlighted the soundtrack’s use of melodies that were led by unique piano tunes and slow pacing which fitted into the narrative. Many also agreed that it fitted well into the narrative especially due to season 3 of Family Life being generally “emotional” to viewers. The soundtrack album is also credited to cause a revival in Family Life, causing it to reach its highest popularity since 2016.

Track listing