Search - Jeremiah Freed :: Jeremiah Freed

Hits a few nerves, but falls short for such a hype

D. H. | Maine, USA | 08/19/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Fans all around the metropolitan area of Portland, Maine will hail Jeremiah Freed as the coming of the Messiah. I tend to lean slightly in the other direction. While often times people will go on and on about the band's greatness, it comes after a couple listens to the band's first radio-friendly single, "Again." Upon listening deeper into the band's major-label debut, they seem to have dug into a rut of slow-moving songs."How They All Got Here" has also become a hit on Maine radio. Chorus be catchy as it may, the song has no flow to it at all. The lyrics' meaning are questionable, the bridge is nothing but ascending chords that don't flow with the tune. The only thing, in my mind, that saved the song from being a complete disaster is Nick Goodale's close-to-perfection guitar work.Certain tracks do strike a chord, however, with critics and musicians alike. The 8+ minute epic, "Eyes. Life. Change." could easily be renamed "The Nick Goodale Show." His sheer intensity and emotion on the six-string are delivered at full throttle in the first 52 seconds of the song, and he never misses a beat. In a closing solo, goosebumps are brought on as Goodale incredibly scales the fretboard, shredding a storm."Ginger" is another tune to showcase not only Goodale's great guitar playing, but the passion and talent of frontman Joe Smith's voice. The lyrics are beautiful, and the music is incredible in its simplicity.However, the rest of the album seems to fall into a rut. Songs like 'Out of Trust,' an homage to Smith's deceased father, lose flow at the chorus. For the first 2+ minutes of the album, there is nothing but Joe Smith backed by simple rhythm guitar. It seems to me a weak start to a weak album.Jeremiah Freed has extreme potential for success, but the songs need to maintain flow, and not a lot of this is found on their debut."

This CD is well worth buying...

GDE | Buffalo, NY United States | 04/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes when you buy an album based on hearing only one song, you get [a disappointment]. Well, that didn't happen to me this time. I heard "again" about two weeks ago, and wanted to find more out about the band... Basically, every song on this cd is very good, whether you like alternative music or hard-rock; there is something here for everybody. I would call this "guitar-alternative rock".The lead guitar work on the album really is fantastic. Almost every song has a 30 or 40 second guitar solo, and more importantly, each one fits the song well. This guy has influences in 70's and 80's classic rock, and that is a very good thing. You can hear 70's southern influences, some Slash, just a little Eddie Van Halen, and others on various songs, and yet none of this is a [take] off of anything that has been done. So if you miss good guitar and musicianship in new music, or like alternative music but do not want to support a band that [needs help] and plays the same three chords all the time, get this album, ASAP. I was also able to check them out live last thursday night, in a small club, and met the band afterward. These guys put on a good live show, and they will only get better with time. Don't bother with downloading songs, because this entire album is amazing."

Great Rock CD

GDE | 04/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just wanted to say that his band has been on the billboard and doesnt have just one incredible single ("Again"), but everyone song is soooo good. This is one of those CD's you have to buy becuase every song is so good. If you are looking for someone to compare them with, it's kidn of hard, but they sound like modern Rock, like Incubus put together with Nickelback. Their CD has been spreading across the country and I expect them to make it big. Probably one of my favorite overall rock CD's I have"