Every now and then, I come across a band and find it impossible to pigeonhole it into any one genre. Detroit-based trio Almost Free is such a band. As an unsigned band, it self-produced their 2009 release Modern Mistakes, a collection of edgy tracks that could have quite easily hit the New Wave charts in the early 80s. The group returns in 2011 with the In/Out EP, a set of four catchy and infectious indie pop songs featuring lyrics that focus on topics such as “apathy, nostalgia, neuroticism, anti-religious sentiment, sex, death, ignorance, and (albeit infrequently) love.”
Almost Free is Andy Bird on vocals and guitars, Bob Impemba on bass, synth and noise, and Garren Stevens on drums. The group has a disaffected take on modern life and an interesting philosophy to go along with it. Explaining the name of his band, Andy Bird asks, “How can we be free if we are always chasing an intangible and subjective state of mind?” It is a decidedly existentialist idea that we exert our freedom and act insofar as the restrictions of society allows while at the same time understand that we are responsible for our own actions.
Almost Free comment on the boredom, malaise, monotony and conformity of modern, suburban life, and the In/Out EP will appeal to fans of The Smiths, Bloc Party and Veil Veil Vanish. The EP is a snapshot into its sound, and fans should hope that it is followed up soon with a full length release. You can catch Almost Free performing on April 23 at the Pike Room, in Pontiac, MI.
To promote the release of the In/Out EP on June 7, 2011, Almost Free is giving away a free download of its first track:
Almost Free – “Really Don’t Know (About You)” (mp3)
If you can’t wait until June for the release of the EP, you can download their album Modern Mistakes from Amazon.com.
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