When I first got my hands on FreshFX’s (aka Sandeep Sehbi) new album, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. The only expectation I had—the only one I could have—is that there would be an uncompromising level of passion injected into every track. I know this because of Sandeep’s intense dedication to Columbus, Ohio’s growing music scene. I wasn’t disappointed.
FreshFX is Sehbi’s looping project, involving various collaborators, deeply layered vocal tracks and heavy beats that range in dynamics from smooth flows to aggressive bass pulses. And while some wind up being more successful than others the overall experience is adept and each offering transfuses the album with a beat heavy cohesiveness.
W H A T I S L O V E, in my mind, is the perfect summary of all things good in the album. Beyond the bass, there is a repeating progression of vocal harmonies reminiscent of a mellotron from the golden days of prog that gives the track a rough-around-the-edges retro feel similar to something you’d find in a Nujabes or RJD2 track. These powerful harmonies are sprinkled throughout the album and color spaces that could have easily fallen to the throes of monotony.
Not all the songs worked for me, however. In C A N T S T O P T H E N O I S E, some of the spoken word sections could have been smoothed out and brought back in the mix, and in S W I M, some of the glitching felt like it was done to excess. But in a sea of successful tracks, the positives vastly outweigh the experiments that seem to have fallen just short.
Like I said before, this album is brimming with creativity, passion and an honesty that can’t be faked. There’s enough diversity to keep listeners pulled in throughout and morsels of deliciously deep sonic phrases to hold their interest. Some of the mixing choices came across as puzzling to me, but I think FreshFX made a beautifully bold statement with this release and will have much more to say moving into the future; I can’t wait to listen.
Cheers Steve!