On F&M’s Live Performances:
Lithium Magazine (September 7th, 2011): “In person,F&M lack no reservations, physically and emotionally letting themselves escape into their very meaningful songs about love, sadness, and traveling the Canadian landscape.”
Merge Magazine (June 2011): “F&M combined great musicianship with haunting, beautiful melodies, and a unique stage presence, making for a show that was soothing yet captivating. Equally as delightful as the live show is their newest release Sincerely F&M, which is a must-have for any fan of folk music. Following a talented band such as F&M is not easy task . . ..”
Camrose Booster on F&M’s performance at Rose City Roots Music Society (May 2009): “Lessons learned were laid bare as their mellow calm held us spellbound. Becky’s voice was easy to get lost in and I often forgot to listen to the words when she was singing. She made the accordion sensual, something these young ears had never heard before. Beautifully at ease, the trio awakened one’s inner sensibilities to introspection, beckoning all to a life of acceptance with the solid back-up of Brian’s electric guitar. Ryan’s final words on stage were “thanks for your thoughts.” It’s safe to say the crowd returned his gratitude and soft waves of understanding.”
The Canmore Leader / Banff Crag and Canyon (April 14 2009): “At times the band doesn’t raise their voices above whispers. At times the subdued lead guitar sears. Their songs are always intelligent reflections of life.”
On “Wish You Were Here” (2011):
Planet S, August 11th: “The instrumentation is so spare it’s almost heartbreaking — imagine the most bittersweet break-up soundtrack ever.”
The StarPhoenix, August 11th: “F&M bring epic mix of sounds to Amigos.”
The Ottawa Sun, August 23rd: “[F&M] makes music that sounds like old French Canada. Slow and sensual love songs similar to those Belle and Sebastian, and a tendency to write unabashedly about love, have an unusual effect, something like an aphrodisiac.”
Hour Community, August 25th: “ …connecting deeply with the listener… the couple deliver a sparse yet dense folk record, filled with affectingly introspective lyrics and enveloping melodies.”
Montreal Mirror, August 25th: “Their boxing gloves may be made of velvet (thick, crushed velvet at that), but this trio will punch you.”
Exclaim Magazine, August 30th: “F&M make music filled with drama and passion.”
The Past Is Unwritten, August 30th:“[F&M] instill a depth of emotions that leaves the listener in a daze, and yet somehow refreshed. They also make blog writers compose extremely cheesy sentences, which is a power not many superheroes even have.”
Uptown Magazine, September 1st: “More than just beautiful album, Wish You Were Here is the product of a band that’s finally comfortable with its less-is-more sound — and a band that has faith in the strength of its songs.”
The Gateway, September 1st: “F&M’s latest offering manages to be atmospheric and emotional while maintaining a sense of ease and clarity amongst its complex construction. Layers of subtle sounds carefully support every song to build a distinct emotional mood, sometimes evoking longing and loneliness. But Wish You Were Here won’t drag listeners down with its darkness — instead, the album draws you closer, wrapping you in its cozy charm.”
AVENUE Magazine, November Edition: “simple and sweet”
On “Sincerely, F&M” (2010):
BeatRoute Western Canada’s Arts & Entertainment Magazine: “Their music works because it examines themes that every adult faces in life and the depiction of the couple’s experiences comes off as authentic and haunting. F&M are a band that won’t stay a secret for very long.”
Famous Blue Raincoats, Greece: “Should be alternative stars- the Canadian duo of Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are writing passionate stories. Their past works also deserve recognition, but they are consistently great, and their lyrics are pure poetry. Number 12 for Best of 2010”
EYE Weekly, Toronto:“Rebecca conjures Joni Mitchell in her ability to travel across several octaves, while Ryan’s voice is contemplative and full of rugged honesty. The duo demonstrates its maturity as songwriters with their third album, Sincerely, F&M, where they arrange the silence as well as the sound. The results are heartfelt and rich in meaning. 4 out of 5 stars”
The Calgary Herald: “Edmonton band gets better with every sip”
T. O. Music Snob: “The arrangements are sophisticated pop at it’s finest…. It may not be party music, but Sincerely, F&M is a solid choice for almost any other listening occasion.”
The Times Colonist, Victoria: “Edmonton duo Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are a cutie-patootie couple with their folk-pop hearts in the right place. Their winsome new recording, Sincerely, F&M, comes with the most unusual of liner notes: Each song is paired with a wine suggestion. Take that, Metallica.”
VUE Weekly, Edmonton (Cover Story) : “The songs—quiet and riddled as they are with themes of leaving, returning and winter—reflect the members’ view of the city that houses them. Even the artwork reflects an earthy, local, wild vibe.”
The Vancouver Sun: “I’ve been a big fan of the band’s literate style for a number of years so, if like me, you sometimes like your pop with an adult message and some food for thought, this is definitely the place to be.”
SEE, Edmonton: “As for the music itself, it’s something that you and your parents might actually agree on. It truly sounds Canadian, and that’s not a bad thing on this one.”
The Leader Post, Regina: “A sincere, sprited duo”
The Edmonton Journal: “their voices are perfect contrasts. She often sounds like a pious worshipper who wants to sin; he’s a roguish barfly who wants to repent.”
Saskatoon Starphoenix: “unexpected and sublime”
Main-Echo, Germany: “Fresh spririts on tap….[F&M is ] part of the Canadian intellectual music scene.”
On “Every Light Must Fade” (2008):
Feminist Review, Athens, GA January 4, 2010 “I realized I’d found something special…I feel like I’m really “in the moment”—something I have a hard time achieving, even in meditation. …a band that is truly a breath of fresh air.”
Main-Echo, Aschaffenburg, GERMANY October 15, 2009 Der Hoffnungsschimmer des Lebens / Hope for Life: Becky and Ryan talk with Music and Culture Editor Stefan Reis about the interactions of their personal life and the Canadian environment with their musical writing.
Mossip!, USA, September 19, 2009 Mossip! Artists to Watch: F&M:”Becky and Ryan create something so different that you have to sit up and take notice … Where Ryan is darkness. Becky is light. Together they make a listening experience that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else.”
Wildy’s World, USA, September 19, 2009 “Every Light Must Fade is going to be a difficult experience for some; it’s not clean and easy to listen to, but it’s a robust artistic statement on mortality, done in the fumbling awkward terms in which we tend to address the subject. Are you up for a challenge?”
SnC 184, United Kingdom, September 9, 2009 “A very new discovery for me which I would guess some of you may have already checked out after my Twitter post this afternoon about F&M. They hit me like a very gentle and sincere steam-train, but hit me they did.”
Rocky Mountain Outlook, January 15, 2009 Art-Pop F&M Can Make Grown Men Cry: “… wowing audiences … with an intimate set of touching and thoughtful folk/rock songs… The band … combines folk ballads with alt rock sounds that draw comparison to The National.”
beyond the ear, ON, Canada January 8, 2009 f&m: a filter to which music can be celebrated: “every light must fade is a body of work that matures with each play… each song strengthens and nuances shed skins with each listen. “
Main Echo, Germany, December 2008 Ein Schatz furs Leben “[Every Light Must Fade] is an overwhelming aesthetic beautiful gift…. F&M’s art/style is something that needs to be guarded like a treasure – for one’s entire life.”
Sherwood Park News. October 24, 2008 “Local Musicians Offer Unique Sound”
VUE Weekly November 2008 :”F&M have just reminded us what finely crafted adult pop is all about — not in the schmaltzy easy-listening radio sense, not in the big power notes and diva personalities of mainstream contemporary music, but in the thoughtful, emotional power of true musical storytelling.”
The Edmonton Journal May 2008 “If the rest of the music scene seems more concerned with pumping out the party hooks, F&M are still studiously crafting their own brand of cerebral melodies…. and stripping the music down to its most basic, heart-wrenching core.”
On “Let Every Light Shine” (2007):
SEE Magazine January 24, 2008 “F&M’s sound is sweet but their verses may surprise you”
VUE Weekly June 2007 “F&M takes the more difficult but more fulfilling route . . . the power of the music is not in what is there, but rather in what is hidden in the spaces between the notes.”
The Edmonton Journal June 2007 “Delicate and smooth”