a2172528438_10Jo Miller-Gamble is no stranger to strange music. Having previously performed with artists such as Eyes of Love, Great Valley, and Blanche Blanche Blanche, Jo Miller-Gamble comes to us as a weird-pop veteran, and so it’s no surprise that his debut album Free (Via OSR) sounds as if it has so little to prove. The eight songs on this album sound, as the title implies, quite unrestrained and loose, refusing to be tied down by any particular genre or typical song structure. Indeed, there is an ever present aura of “freeness” permeating these tracks, giving the entire album a sense of beautiful carelessness.

This does not mean of course that the songs themselves are not well-crafted or thoroughly thought out. Each track has its own quirks and unique elements that work together to create interesting blends of sounds. Opener “Domino”, for example, sounds like a hectic country shuffle, with a bouncing bass line and guitar twangs ringing in and out. Synth driven “Sun People” is a colorful pop tune, while “Grill Me” is a more moody piece with an addictive vocal melody. And while a song like “The Reason I Would Want to Give a Speech” sounds wonderfully messy, loose, and bizarre, closer track “Scent of Life” is a far more straightforward pop track. The balance between moody and fun, freed and controlled, and sweetness and chaos here is brilliant, and at only a little over 20 minutes is definitely worth a listen.

Cereal Pairing: Fruity Pebbles