Electric Guitars
Freewheeler

I wasn’t very impressed with the live album Electric Guitars released some year ago, the best thing about it was the playing time. Their studio albums have been strong though, with catchy and well-played music. The same kind of accessible and easy-listening as a Hollywood movie, with the same issue that it isn’t anything that really sticks in the mind. But it is music that sells, and they have amassed quite some popularity, especially in their native Denmark, and this Freewheeler will probably help them move even further as it is their best effort to date.

The cover shows what it is, nostalgic rock music with eyes firmly in the rear-view mirror. Well made, well produced, good sound and good vocals, an album that certainly showcases what these guys are all about. Something for the road. The songs are really accessible with catchiness, and the album will be easy to like from the first time you hear it – and it will feel very familiar, not only to those who are already fans of Electric Guitars.

It gets a flying start with Dopamine, one of the highlights of the album. Then there are some pretty ordinary rockers, catchy, good, but hardly memorable. Cut Loose is another one that shines, and perhaps Rainbow as well. Still, even with some catchy highlights, it is difficult to overlook the familiar feeling of this one, even the first time you hear it. Magic is rarely made when copy-pasting what others have done before, you need some fresh element to create that absolute brilliance. There is a lot of quality in Freewheeler, but it is also very familiar and not that memorable.

Those that are already fans will enjoy this one as well, it will probably earn them several new fans as well. Freewheeler is a good album that has songs that will suit the stage quite well too, and it is difficult to rate as the accessibility and good feeling when listening makes me want to be positive. Then the critic in me takes over and points out that this album is never on my mind when not playing it and I have had it for months now and hardly ever wanted to play it, that argument dismisses the higher ratings. In the end it is one of those albums that can’t really go wrong, everyone will like it, but very few will love it.

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