How did I miss this album? Freeman by Aaron Freeman

I've been a Ween fan for lots of years. They were a band that came along in my life right around when I needed to hear something weird and creative, guys that were creating something that I longed for. Chocolate and Cheese was the first of their albums that I heard, in about 2002. I was offended and loved it all at once, and eventually just loved it. It wasn't long before I went searching for their other stuff and came across The Mollusk and then I was hooked. I had to get all their albums and as soon as they came out with a new album after that, I picked it up and played it a lot. That's pretty much how being a fan of a band works, right?

So, how did I miss Freeman when it came out in 2014? I cannot say. I am glad to have come across it recently, though. The album, overall, reminds me of what I loved about the mellower side of Ween and hearing the familiar vocals warms my heart. This album reminds me of Ween, yet it also sounds like a solo album. The music is simpler and cleaner than a lot of what Ween made is, and it's tighter for the most part as well. While what appealed to me about Ween in many ways was their ability to sound great and interesting while being very improvisational, this music is great for opposite reasons. It sounds to me like all the tracks were layered in pieces and then carefully aligned. I don't know if that's how it was made, but it sounds that way to me. I'm listening to it and wondering if Aaron Freeman had these songs completely planned out in his head prior to recording even the first lick.

Another feature that strikes me is how different each song is from the one before it and the one after. These songs were put in order on purpose. They stand out from each other and were put in purposeful order. I enjoy that. Too many albums today sound like a bunch of singles. Not here. The songs feature similar instrumentation and sound, yet the songwriting and riffs set them apart. It's truly good stuff. And, despite the simplicity, it seems to me that a lot of thought went into this album... even if that was over the course of years before the album was made, possibly in a relatively short time. I can imagine that.

If nothing else, check out this album for the solos. They're super sexy and well crafted, with all the right wrong notes in all the sweet places to make solos that sound original and distinct. They fit the songs so well that they're almost like a second vocalist at times, as many great solos are. It's some good stuff and has no lack of shred, as well.

There ya go...