Go-Getter is the first track on Rock & Roll Freedom Show, and it immediately provides listeners with an intimate look into Gonzales’ life and influences. While Gonzales’ overall style on this introductory track will fit perfectly in with pop and rock radio, I feel that there is a much more complex and nuanced sound that is cultivated on this album. The music that is on Rock & Roll Freedom Show flies in the face of a great many of the female singer-songwriters that are currently crafting music and touring; the sad truth is that one would be hard-pressed to distinguish one from another.
Take, for example, Love Is War . This track is integral in establishing Gonzales’ unique style; vocal and instrumental unite here to create something that is decidedly greater than the sum of their parts. Love Is War also provides listeners with a look into Gonzales’ own strong sense of self. Where artists like Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood were able to showcase similar spunk, Gonzales is able to blend this gruff persona with a much more soft and emotional side. I’m Coming Home is the track that is extremely touching; Gonzales is able to instill in her listeners all the touching memories and events that have made her the woman that she currently is. Flowers touches upon a similar vein and allows listeners to be let down as easily as they were brought up during the beginning of Go-Getter.
Where there is a tendency for albums to focus only on a few select singles, I believe that the different tracks on Rock & Roll Freedom Show contain a number of threads that are kept constant throughout. It is precisely the presence of these threads that makes this release so hard-hitting, and why any fan of good music should search out a copy of the album.
Top Tracks: Go-Getter, Have You Been Here Before
Rating: 8.0/10
Misty Gonzales – Rock & Roll Freedom Show (CD) / 2011 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.mistyfreechild.com