The latest single from Harry Kappen, The Freedom Inside has been released to much fanfare. This folk/country artist delivers expressive guitar tones with inspired and challenging lyrical prose, and with The Freedom Inside, we get much of the same. Written as a track of self-enlightenment, of “thinking about the world, the wars, the misery the changes caused by man”, we get a narrative of the journey to acceptance and appreciation of what remains. Musically, Harry Kappen employs layers of guitars, both melodic and harmonic, a mosaic of the vocal assemblage of harmonizing choruses and an intricate rhythm structure. The complex melodic buildup after each cadence carries The Freedom Inside from a simple folk-inspired jam into a rocking up-tempo swing that carries the lyrical theme further helps deliver the message on the theme. This choice of utilizing unorthodox instrumentation and increasing the tempo and pacing, therefore, results in the vocals fighting for balance over the complex melodic structure. Harry Kappen’s jarring use of alliterative language imagery combined with the absence of a defined rhyming scheme takes an artistic license to this theme which emphasizes his moral call to action.
Although The Freedom Inside is an expressive piece and rather chaotic in its delivery, it is the chaos that brings me closer to this track. I believe the less singular a piece of music is with this metaphorical theme, the less effective the message becomes. In the case of The Freedom Inside, we have a challenging piece of music that is entertaining as well. It is these elements that make me want to listen to this track over and over again. The maturity and professionalism demonstrated by Harry Kappen, therefore, make The Freedom Inside a clever choice for any Folk, Middle-Of-The-Road, Adult Contemporary, or Country commercial radio playlist. My only concern is if this track is meant for commercial accessibility, is it too much for the casual listener? An enjoyable piece of music, and very well produced. The level of workmanship in the main mix should not go unnoticed, as the unexpected degree of contrasting notes is separated with precision allowing each of these overtones to carry out over the main mix. Couple this with an effective main groove, and The Freedom Inside also elicits a dance-like response in its audience.
Reviewed by: Lee Callaghan | Evolution Music Press