Finding Ron Freeman

(Posted in nearly indentical form at HickoryWind.org)

Crushing Hearts EP
Ron Freeman
(Basement Transmissions Records)

I’m still somewhat undecided as to how I feel about the Internet. There certainly are negative aspects of the Web. My experiences have mostly been positive, though, especially as they relate to discovering music. All Music Guide (allmusic.com) is required reading for critics and fans. Most artists now have Web sites, making it easier than ever to find out when your favorites are heading to the studio or coming to your town. And eBay has helped fill more than one hole in the music library. Never has one man’s trash become another’s treasure with greater ease.

The Internet also makes it easier for us to discover new music. That’s how I found Ron Freeman.

More accurately, Mr. Freeman found me. He discovered this blog, and thought based on the music I wrote about that I might be interested in hearing/reviewing his EP. Asking me if I’d like to hear some music is like asking me if I want some potato chips. The answer is yes, by the way, and there’s no way I’m eating just one.

One exchange of e-mails later, Freeman’s five-song "Crushing Hearts EP" was in my mailbox. Considering that Freeman is based in Erie, Pa., the chances of me coming across his CD on my own were pretty slim. He’s not even on CD Baby.

Anyway, I’m glad that Freeman found me. He’s a singer-songwriter, and judging from these five songs the solo/acoustic thing is his forte but by no means his only interest.

The first three tracks on the disc are the sort of strummy songs that could be appealing to a pretty wide segment of the HickoryWind audience. I can’t really put my finger on who I’d compare him to at the moment. He could appeal to some Ryan Adams fans, though I’m getting kind of a Conor Oberst vibe, particularly on last year’s "I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning." If you put one or two of these tracks on a mix CD, you might be able to fool casual listeners into thinking you stumbled onto some unreleased Bright Eyes (though Freeman is not a sound-alike).

As I said, Freeman’s strength is in the simple, acoustic fare. The opener, "Where Are You Tonight?," shows he has a strong sense of melody, and he gets help with gentle harmony vocals from Matt Texter and Erica Midendorf. The lyrics are good, too. I could picture Rhett Miller singing lines such as "Questions were posed/Like models in their pretty clothes" and "And bands without singles/Is like Heaven without angels/Can’t you see we all want to sing along." This one’s been growing on me the more I listen to it.

Freeman also keeps it simple on "Our Love," which boasts the catchy couplet "Our love is like a country song/And all the drunks wanna sing along." I suspect this tune is popular with the folks – drunk or not – who catch Freeman in the Greater Erie area.

The third track, "Live Forever," is definitely in the same vein as the first two. In fact, I detected a distinctly similar strum pattern on the guitar. Even though that seemed a bit tedious, it’s a pretty minor point. As on the first two tunes, I thought Freeman took care with the lyrics. The verse that goes "Your family’s broke and cigarette smoke/is filling up your lungs/You’re thinking about eternity/But you’d settle for being young/Your time has come, your time has come" got my attention the first time around.

After the first three cuts I started to think, "Maybe it would be nice if these songs had a little more instrumentation." Yes and no; it’s kind of a case of being careful what you wish for. "Will You Love Me When I’m Hungover?" is augmented by electric guitar fills, but they don’t necessarily fit. At times Mike Kloss seems to be creating tension because he’s trying too hard to fill the spaces. This song might have even been better without the electric, or at least if it had been dialed back in the mix somewhat. Overall I’d still say I enjoyed the song, just not as much as the previous three.

The final track, "Tell Me The Truth," is definitely a departure. Layered with programming and synthesizers, it’s got as much in common with New Order as it does with Willie Nelson. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I also think such experimentation might pan out for a young artist looking to make a mark or forge a less common musical identity. Not to set the bar overly high, but David Gray certainly took a giant leap with his combination of home-recorded lo-fi and electronica on "White Ladder."

Freeman’s EP shows promise, and his effort to get it in my hands shows that he’s willing to hustle. Now I’m passing him on to you. Head on over to ronfreeman.net and check him out for yourself. You can check out "Our Love" and "Tell Me the Truth," and purchase the "Crushing Hearts EP" if you choose for only $9, shipping included. Whether you buy it is up to you. I just think it’s great the Internet has given us a chance to choose.