Erica Freas might be most known in the music world for her part in American punk rock band RVIVR but that could soon change as she is set to release a brand new album of solo material, that has been in the works for years, this Friday – 28th February. The album, titled Young, is being put out by Specialist Subject Records and features 11 tracks that share a common theme – they are all deeply personal and they were all written for friends during moments of change and transition.
On Bandcamp, Erica says ‘We’re so caught up in this moment with all the real pressures and challenges that mark our lives right now; this all-consuming moment. With these songs, I was thinking about what world we’re welcoming the next generation into and, similarly, how we approach our own futures and histories as we grow. These songs are about being alive, whether we’re new to it or have been around awhile.’
If you’ve heard any of the singles that Erica has put out in the run up to the release of Young – or indeed any of her previous solo material – then you’ll know that this isn’t the most ‘punk’ of albums, at least not musically – I’d say it’s more folky indie pop, if I had to label it with a genre. This doesn’t bother me, since I like a wide variety of ‘punk rock’ and, whether she’s singing in RVIVR or solo, I love Erica’s voice. So I was bound to enjoy Young, right?
Young opens with I Came Here To Feed You. Softly strummed guitar and vocals set the tone for what to expect from this record. The repetition of ‘oh you little thing’ is infectious as the song builds ever so slightly in volume. It feels as if this song could be as much about a small bird as it could be about a specific person in Erica’s life. Or maybe I just think that as there’s some birds tweeting at the end of the song and leading us into the next. True Blue is the name of track number two. We are welcomed by a lovely warm acoustic finger picked melody and shortly some subtle and soothing hums of ‘Blue–ooh–ohh’. In True Blue, Erica skilfully likens a person as being like the changeable sky. ‘Blue like the sky turning from the nighttime to the day, Stormy when she needs to be.’ There are some particularly lovely harmonised vocals at points during the song which really add to the song as a whole.
Red Is was the first single to be released from Young. In this song, Erica talks us through a selection of colours, not just red, and what they remind her of. It’s a beautifully nostalgic song that brings a smile to my face, despite – of course – not being able to connect with the specific colour connotations in the song. I think it’s an interesting idea to assign colours to fond memories and certainly makes for a super song. By the fourth song, I’m feeling like there’s a bit of a theme of colours going on here. Titled Magnolia (Spring Blossom), so more specifically referencing the plant than the colour, this song feels like a celebration of a new season, a new life or a new chapter in one’s story – the season being Spring. The whole album feels like the epitome of Spring actually and this song is certainly no exception. ‘Magnolia, Magnolia, Blossom of the spring time, Magnolia, Magnolia, You’ve always been a love of mine.’
The fifth track, Salish Sea Orcas, is probably the single song that stood out to me the most on my first listen though. With slightly faster paced acoustic guitar picking to start and louder – relatively speaking – and firm vocals, I’m immediately hooked into this song that, on face value, seems to be about the sea. The lines ‘And how much can we love something that we don’t hear, Deep under water the whales are clear, When they talk to their families, They whistle their songs, And we’re singing along’ followed by actual whale song is just wonderful. I love this song. There have been hints of electric guitars in earlier songs but none so clear as the opening riff of A Year. Erica starts by singing of writing a postcard that then doesn’t get delivered. The song is about how ‘a year’ can seem long or short, happy or sad, memorable or not, depending on each individual – ‘What’s a year to me with all the million things I’ve seen, But a year to you is so long and I miss you.’ You can be physically far away from someone but still feel close to them emotionally – A Year drives home the positives of these feelings.
With Little Sunrise we are back to soft acoustic guitar melodies. There’s just something extra special about Erica’s voice when backed by only an acoustic guitar. Little Sunrise feels uplifting as Erica sings of letting go, moving on and being content with yourself and your life. ‘Push the moon aside little sunrise, We’re waiting for on this side, To meet you in the summer time, Let go and you’ll be fine, Let go and you’ll be fine, Let go…’ These uplifting feelings are apparent particularly towards the end of the song as the vocals seem to get louder and more empowering. There’s almost a bit of a country twang in Erica’s vocals in eighth track, Golden Welcome. Or maybe it’s just me. She tells such wonderful stories in her songs and this is a prime example of that. You really feel like you’re on a journey with this song particularly when the repetition of ‘Welcome to Earth’ over and over is layered over what sounds like a cello and a series of sound clips before ending with a gentle rendition of Oh, What A Beautiful Morning (from Oklahoma!). Certainly not what I was expecting but lovely nonetheless.
Fantastic Future was the second single to be released from Young and it takes its place on the album at number nine. The song has an especially slow start, building atmosphere and setting the tone once again. It’s almost whimsical and dreamlike. Fantastic Future is a song about feeling hopeful while looking ahead to the future and perhaps also being thankful for what’s got you to this point. ‘We’ve been here before, In the grip of the future, Unwinding our golden thread, Again and again.’ The penultimate song is titled July Bird. Opening with the words ‘Hey little bird…’ this feels like another song that uses a small bird as a metaphor for a, perhaps slightly fragile, person. The song is soothing and lullaby-esque while the image of a bird makes me think of freedom. Ultimately I think July Bird is about growing up and finding your own path in life. And that’s a theme that is reflected in the album’s closing song, Tadpoles, even with the song’s opening words – ‘Hey little pollywog…’. I guess, as a tadpole, you have so much of your life ahead of you and will understandably change a lot over time. Tadpoles is about finding positives in your own future and, really, that’s something that I can take away from Young as a whole.
Young is a wonderful record that, despite having been a long time coming, feels perfectly timed with its release this week. I mentioned earlier in my review that there’s a distinct feeling of Spring about these songs and this album as a whole, at least to me. I feel like there’s plenty of albums out there that represent the Summertime but, as Spring is personally my favourite season, it’s nice to have an album personify Spring and the joy the season brings – hopefulness and new beginnings. That, and these 11 songs are each beautifully written and arranged to perfection. It’s been a pleasure to have an early listen to Young and I look forward to many more ears hearing it come Friday.
You can pre-order Young from Specialist Subject Records and from Erica’s Bandcamp page if you are in the US. Like Erica Freas on Facebook here.
This review was written by Emma Prew.
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