FREE AS A BIRD

A divisive installment in the Supertramp catalogue. The album boasts stellar, fun highlights ("It's Alright," "I'm Beggin' You.") But also has tracks like "Not The Moment" that fall flat. Unlike their folky and classic rock laced past, Free as A Bird is a mid 80s dance album through and through. A startling change to the majority of their fanbase, but one that brought with it creative success. The band is in fine form, and their experimentative spark shows through. Rick Davies keys work is on point and his signature crooning is intact. Bassist Dougie Thompson shines as-well, laying down agile and addictive baselines (focus on that bass line in "It's Alright." It's sizzling!) Saxophonist John Helliwell doesn't appear as much as he should, although his solo on the title track is quite memorable. Bob Siebenberg is always ready with a strong backing beat that, following with the changed dance album direction, makes you want to get on the floor. Much like their previous, Brother Where You Bound, the album is aided by its uniqueness to the rest of their catalogue, and instead of being relentlessly belittled for seemingly solely that fact, it should be appreciated for what it does right, which is quite a lot.

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