Review #16 : Freddie Bourne (Vulnerable Commercialism )

REVIEW #16

Artist: Freddie Bourne
Album: Vulnerable Commercialism

There is a lot to enjoy on this release, but the three most important things are that it is unique, it is heartfelt, and it sounds amazing. Freddie Bourne is a solo singer/songwriter from Jackson, NJ who shows off his professional vocal and piano skills in this new live EP
called Vulnerable Commercialism.

Being his fourth release, Bourne clearly felt like it was time to try a different approach to releasing new music. These new songs were recorded infront of a live audience in what seems to be a very intimate setting. Not knowing where the show took place I think enhanced the listening experience for me. I spent a lot of my time listening, trying to place where the performance could possibly be. My brain for some reason placed him in a hotel bar, but I mean a good one. Not like a Holiday Inn, but like Hilton or something fancy! Okay, I’ll stop now. I’m clearly showing that my wallet has not taken me to many fancy places. Moving on!

You might be saying right now, “Well Ryan, that’s called a “LIVE ALBUM”. Well… to that I’d say two things, A) how do you know my name? and B) you’re correct, but this is different. Vulnerable Commercialism doesn’t play out like a collection of hits that you’d expect to hear at your favorite artist’s show. They aren’t coming from a giant arena or even a well run bar venue necessarily, though they very well could be. What is special here is that Freddie creates an emotional atmosphere for his audience, and this is not something that I have experienced on live albums many times before, if ever.

So if you are a fan of acts like Augustana or Five for Fighting, possibly The Fray, this is a new, young, and polished artist that you should probably get into. Another notable characteristic about this EP is it’s sad, it feels sad, but it’s real. These pretty piano songs don’t feel like “one-size-fits-all” ballads, they are specific and paint the listener a picture rather than show them a stock photo. And to make it even more personal, between in each song, just like at a live show, Freddie talks to the audience (or the listener) and tells “us” what really is driving these songs. While it is sometimes fun to try and figure out what a song is about on your own, with these pieces I feel it’s better to just listen and appreciate the story.

I think my two favorite songs presented here were “RX” and “A Girl”. These are two of the darker tracks on the record and definitely draw you in. What was interesting about “A Girl”, and this explained on the release, is that it is an adapted poem written by a friend of Bourne’s. Without giving away further details, because I think it best you listen to the song’s explanation to fully appreciate it, Freddie does a fantastic job of adapting these words to his sound and live performance seamlessly.  

After you give this EP a listen on March 29th when it is available for streaming, be sure to check out Freddie’s past works, “The Childhood Birthday Party That Nobody Came To”, “Only Human”, and “I Wrote These Songs With Heavy Vibes and a Piano”.

Ryan Hanratty
Frosted Green Productions