Ahh, Free, what a great song! I loved it when I first heard it as a stand alone single at the start of the year, and I love it now that it is the kickoff track for David Belle’s latest album, The Beginning. It follows the traditions of songs such as Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ and Dire Straits’ Romeo and Juliet. Boy meets girl; boy runs away with girl, boy and girl live…well, who knows? It’s aspirational. It’s inspirational. It’s Jack and Diane for the new generation.
From here, David Belle runs through nine more songs that talk about the lives and loves of the average Joe and his Josephine, real and imagined, across songs that wander around a broad and exploratory alternative rock sound. Sometimes, it is more rootsy, sometimes erring on the side of soul vibes or funky rythmns, occasionally playing with classic rock traditions and new wave invention, balladic introspection, and funky grooves.
And across the top, he spins his narratives in a sort of half-sung, half-spoken word delivery, which is perfect for his slightly world-weary, eminently wise blend of wit and wisdom.
Free is not only a great single in its own right, but it opens the door to a fantastic album.
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