Temple Of Mystery Records - 2020
9/10
Several years back, during the dark depths of quarantine and unemployment, much of my time was consumed with taking in anything new I possibly could to occupy an idle mind. Of course, that meant hearing a bunch of junk, but Freeways was a band that was anything but; the cover art alone intrigued me. The Canadian quartet's first record titled True Bearings managed to capture something I'll call a cold atmosphere that feels warm inside. So no, this isn't going to be anything harsh or unforgiving.
Quite the opposite! While tunes that feel like they breath hope or anything uplifting are pretty void, the songs are still extremely digestible and comforting. For a majority of this, minor scales and bleak passages pair with strong melody, concise singing, and bouncy rhythms. Riff-wise, it could feel right in place next to your favorite late '60s or '70s rock 'n roll act as well as well as the earlier NWOBHM projects that made the tube amps nice and hot. The end result is a soothing yet melancholic ride that's fitting for a fall evening, perhaps driving through the country.
With that in mind, the best tunes on True Bearings tend to swim back and forth between the scale tones while slapping on a heavier dose of catchiness. "Dead Air" is my personal favorite, weaving in memorable licks and steady execution that slowly turns to a damper atmosphere for the chorus. Blues influence certainly makes its way into this in one form or another, heavily evident on the slower trudge of "Time Is No Excuse" without getting too heavy. Groovy chops are no stranger to the band either, evident immediately in opener "Eternal Light, Eternal Night," and the intro on "Battered & Bruised" lays that on heavily. The latter is another favorite, highlighting the bass-driven bottom, tampering with more metal oriented playing while still containing one of the sleekest and cleanest chorus executions on the disc. The addition of an acoustic guitar was also a nice touch.
Freeways are a fun little outfit, and they're unique in the way they fit the rock 'n roll and heavy metal sound while simultaneously feeling like neither. Sometimes its lighter than a feather, other times bluesy riffs break into a tough bottom. Most importantly, the songwriting itself is top-notch and I can't say anything ever felt awkward. For how short this is, they really crammed a lot into a little.
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