OFFICIAL: http://www.gracefreeman.net/
Written
by Lydia Hillenburg, posted by blog admin
This
is a release that a lot of people will get behind without much persuading.
Grace Freeman’s talents shine through on each of Shadow’s eleven cuts and she
has a naturalness as both a performer and writer that is a rare gift in any
era. Don’t make the mistake of lumping her in with the gaggle of female
singer/songwriters who’ve appeared in the last two decades – Freeman possesses
a singular, transformative talent that certainly takes in the right influences
but, ultimately, speaks with its own certain and convincing voice. She brings
in some other instrumentation on various songs, but Freeman confines much of
Shadow to making its mark via her voice, piano, and acoustic guitar. These
songs are so good that scarcely anything more is required. She inhabits these
spartan musical landscapes like a knowing, generous spirit and unstintingly
gives herself to the audience.
“Oliver”
begins Shadow on a muted note, but the artistry is undeniable. Few songs of
this ilk in recent memory share such an obviously sympathetic bond between the
musical arrangement and vocal. Freeman’s voice locks into the guitar from the
first and her phrasing varies enough at critical points during the performance
to make for some interesting juxtapositions. “Shadow” has a quasi-classical air
thanks to the inclusion of piano, but this soon gives way to the inclusion of
drums and bass that takes the song into a more high brow pop direction. It’s
one of the most successful tunes on Shadow and one can only assume Freeman
agrees since it comes so early in the album’s running order. “Trying to Say
Goodbye”, like the later “Dreams”, doesn’t overtly pursue the suggestion of pop
in performance, but it certainly has commercial appeal in a way that other
songs on Shadow do not. The pained lyrics take on an unusual quality, almost
playful, when placed against the arrangement on “Trying to Say Goodbye”. The
acoustic guitar has a near gypsy flair on the later “Dreams” and it prompts
Freeman to respond with one of her most invigorating vocals on the release.
“Another
Long Night” and “God Forbid” are two of the best songs on Shadow thanks to
lyrics just as strong as the musical ideas driving each track. The former song
focuses on the marriage between Freeman’s voice and entertaining acoustic
guitar – the unusual bluntness of the lyric serves it quite well and Freeman
makes no real attempt to sweeten its sentiments. “God Forbid” is reminiscent of
Regina Spektor’s songwriting, but Freeman is a far clearer lyricist while still
retaining the capacity for a poetic turn of phrase. This is a collection that
will stick in the memory for some time to come thanks to the virtuosic songwriting
clinic she puts on and the burning focus we sense applied to each of Shadow’s
eleven songs. Grace Freeman has struck gold with this one.
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