The third studio effort from
Cody Simpson, 2015's
Free, finds the laid-back singer/songwriter maturing further into a sophisticated and lyrical acoustic pop performer.
Free is
Simpson's first full-length album since parting ways with Atlantic and setting up his own Coast House label. In that sense, it's something of a new start for the Aussie whose soulful, often reggae-influenced music has long set him apart from his slicker, R&B-influenced contemporaries. Here, he sounds less like
Justin Bieber or
Justin Timberlake and more like a devotee of the organic folk, blues, and lighthearted soul of predecessors like
John Mayer,
Jason Mraz, and
Jack Johnson. While
Simpson has voiced his love for these artists in the past, here he sinks his toes deep into the beachy vibe they helped popularize. Aiding
Simpson's transition is producer Cisco Adler, whose Bananabeat label also handled the album's release. Known for his mellow, hip-hop and acoustic pop productions with
Shwayze,
Mike Posner, and others, Adler is a good fit for
Simpson, and thankfully does little to dress up his protégé's sound. In fact, most of the cuts on
Free, including the lilting, groove-oriented "Flower," the hippie-girl love song "Driftwood," and the heartfelt "I'm Your Friend," are some of the most rootsy, live-sounding recordings
Simpson has made to date. Adding to that vibe are
Simpson's collaborations with the equally chilled-out, surf-centric singer/songwriter
Donavon Frankenreiter ("It Don't Matter") and garage-blues-meets-alternative-hip-hop mastermind
G. Love ("Love Yourself"). On
Free, whether he's singing about taking control of his career or about the way his girl lives "just like the ocean" (as he does on the title track),
Simpson ultimately sounds pretty happy about where he's at. ~ Matt Collar