Posted on: December 22, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Moving into different influences and vocal styles, “Where We Live” sounds more like a Flogging Molly song than anything, as the lead singer sounds like a pirate (Arrrrr) and the guitar has that same sharp sound as some of the lines during the FM disc. By far, the band’s anthem is on this disc in “Free Chase Peterseim”. For those of you not in the know, Chase Peterseim is a kid in Lancaster, that well, you might have to listen to the disc to figure out what he did. The song is one long exercise in fun, whether it be the bouncy whistling or the horn beat during the bridge. The second half of the disc is their ode to great bands before them, as The Freedom Fries cover tracks by Journey (Any Way You Want It), NoFX (Linoleum), Operation Ivy (Big City), and Sublime (Santeria). While the Journey cover has all of its killer guitar lines intact, there seems to be points in the non-solo guitar lines that drop out, but not serious enough to make the ambiance of the track any less. “Linoleum” is a faithful cover, but seems a little lacking after one has seen the band play the song live, where they give it a personality all their own. “Big City” is perfect for the act, as the bass is actually detailed enough to provide adequate challenge, the vocals are the same spat-out style, and the drums are of the type that drive the track to its all-too-soon finish. The punked-up cover of “Santeria” loses some of the polish that the original Sublime cover, but is a welcome change of pace from the still-overplayed original version. I personally believe that “Santeria” can be covered in a way that showcases more of The Freedom Fries qualities, which are hinted at in the brief interlude that shows a look back to the original guitar lines. After hearing tracks like “Hanging Clowns”, and their cover of “White Man in Hammersmith Palais”, I know that they have the ability to completely blow the track out of the water. Time will only tell if this track will be released on another version, on another EP, as it is about time that The Freedom Fries come out with something new.

Top Tracks : “Free Chase Peterseim” and “Any Way You Want It”

Rating : 8.3/10

The Freedom Fries – Self-Titled LP / 8 Tracks / 2003 /http://www.thefreedomfries.150m.com/ [email protected]

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