An established member of the Brooklyn indie scene by 2020, best known for her time in the bands Avan Lava and
Beverly,
Drew Citron steps forward with her own material on Free Now, a long-intended solo debut. At the time of its release, her band
Public Practice had just released their own debut album. Heavily informed by a breakup with her bandmate and partner of six years (referred to here as "the man with the charismatic hands"), Free Now was also inspired by remembering long walks with headphones while escaping into her favorite albums as an adolescent (she specifically cites
the Smiths as one such group). The resulting set is both impulsive and solidly constructed, with catchy, yearning melodies, moments of grungy distortion, and flashes of brightness. An example of the latter is notable harmony vocals that appear midway through third track "Dead on Arrival." Their effect is amplified by emerging after opener "Birch Tree" transforms from a lonely electric-guitar lament into a rumbling rock ballad, and the slow-burning "Free Now," with its mournful lead guitar line, arrives at what seems to be early acceptance ("I'm so free now/Moving slowly in the waves/I'm so over it"). "Dead on Arrival" then picks up the tempo and adds sparkling keyboards to its churning guitars until all instruments but drums drop out to make way for a moment of clarity in the form of those crisp harmony vocals. Indie rock bangers like "Kiss Me" and the dreamier remembrance "17" are also in store, as is the ethereal, self-assured "Summertime," which trades distortion for melodic bass, strings, and shimmer. As Free Now works through stages of grief, empowerment, and gratitude, it also folds in some of the top alternative touchstones of the '80s and '90s, including dream pop, grunge, pop-punk, and
Johnny Marr, to name a few. It's an efficient album, coming in at just over 30 minutes and seeming to say everything it needs to say. Free Now closes with "Love's the Illusion," a country-tinged road tune that not only says goodbye but drives away. ~ Marcy Donelson