You get the play on words in the album title? Read it again.
I like puns. Had to get that out of my system. Ok then! So… hmmm… Will Freed…
I’m gonna be honest and say that this album has a little more country in it than I anticipated. Prior to listening through “SouLow”, my only exposure to this musician has been in a live setting. Will owns the stage in way that isn’t arrogant but a natural outpouring of his passion.
We hear the passion throughout SouLow. One can interpret this album name a few ways. It’s obviously a pun. Will Freed plays out both as himself as as a part of “Will Freed Band”. And his music has a lot of soul. So “SouLow” is the intersection of a soulful record and one dude. So why “SouLow” and not “Soulo”? Well, it could be that “SouLow” looks less awkward, and it could be a reflection of Freed singing about the highs and lows of his life. I think it’s both, judging from the feel of the record.
Freed has a lot to get off his chest, but this isn’t a bad thing. Some people have a primary form of catharsis via music and they choose to express everything they feel this way. I do feel that Freed could have narrowed down some songs a little bit to make it feel more cohesive but I get the sense there was a lot of narrowing down that took place already – it’s like choosing which of your kids you like best I presume? Nearly impossible.
Another aspect of Freed’s songwriting that might be polarizing is his guitarwork. Allow me to explain: Will can shred. I mean seriously. Not trying to butter anyone up here. I told him it was almost like hearing Phil Keaggy play when I saw him in a live setting. This style is prominent. Through every song. It starts and never lets up throughout the course of the album. Almost too much so – some might get complacent after hearing it so much. Freed shies away from the simple chord buildup into a solo after the bridge formula, which is refreshing, but at the risk of the songs sounding a bit jumbled at times.
I get the feeling accessibility isn’t something Freed is too concerned about though. If there’s a place for weird spacey psychedelic music in this world, there certainly is a place for shredtastic singer songwriter country music.
Forthcoming is a full band album that he told me months ago he was super stoked on. I can only imagine what this will sound like.
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