Creatively unpredictable and conceptually on point, Free Mace blends genres and gets straight to the heart of hypocrisy and fake news in modern life.
Leading with the punk-pop energy and distortion of Sunday Afternoon, there’s nostalgia in the musicality but a certain contemporary presentation to this effected voice and the pace of the delivery. The lyrics aren’t quite up front just yet, but the track offers an infectious riff that makes sure to leave its tune lingering after listening.
As the project continues, artistic intention clearly takes the lead over secular style – Indica as the follower immediately switches gears, offering a mellow swagger of a reggae rhythm and gentle, intriguing vocals.
By this eclecticism, and the natural punk essence of the writing – free from the confines of the mainstream and the system – there’s something a little Mad Caddies meets Incubus about the whole arrangement of Media and the Free Mace approach to performance.
Topically we get plenty that’s relevant, poignant even, and a fine combination of personal reflections and more broad strokes of accessibility.
Paradise stands out for precisely this quality, the catchy indie riff and live drums setting the mood with ease, the lyrics going on to prove poetic and thought provoking but with a contrastingly light, uplifting melody to soften the blow.
Millennial is an easy highlight, the instant comfort of a memorable, engaging reggae rhythm and equally familiar simplicity of the verse lines – Sublime-style, nostalgic again yet of course modern and intricately appealing in subject matter; with thoughts of cynicism and other such references designed to rock the boat a little.
Then we get the mighty fuzz and intensity of Interlude, well-placed for its arena-rock immersion and weight. Overall the music is nicely captured, throughout the album – great riffs, great guitar sounds that vary enough to keep things interesting.
Some Shit is another stand-out for its anthem-like call and response format that tips its hat to indie pop, pop-rock, and indeed the more recent rise of hip hop fusion acts like Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers.
Bringing things to a finish is a production-savvy title-track that again injects a welcomed hit of weight and pace for an explosive final moment. Again the language leans back and forth between the ache of modern life in general, and the perspective of the individual; our protagonist.
The language is harsh, often heart-breaking, but ultimately the chaos and uplift of the music embraces the listener, making it easy to stomach and indeed relate to. “I’m so tired of the same old shit” resounds and repeats to crash over the finish-line in a fairly unforgettable way.
In an age of reproduced soundscapes and styles, it’s always refreshing to hear from a genuinely creative act with a certain integrity to their writing. Media is everything its title promises – and Free Mace as a band is too.
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