When I receive submissions directly from artists, I always hold my expectations at bay. Usually, I receive them from PR, or managers or labels, which usually tells me either the artist is big enough or good enough to have garnered the attention and interest of some larger entity willing to stand behind them in their pursuit of success.
This of course is only an assumption and proving far and far less true as the industry changes, but it’s still more likely than not that an artist who is reaching out directly is perhaps a little more green than most.
When I received the first song from Chilean artist Michael Frelinghuysen called “Little Stranger”, I was not expecting much. But the track surprised me. There were elements of heartland rock in the echoing guitar chords, and early 90’s alternative music in the harmonized chorus. Lyrics like “Hey man, if you live another day, you’ll have to dream on” had that mix of casualness and poetic acumen that few artists seem to capture these days. This was good.
And then I heard “The Rain”, which swelled with a U2-ish beauty, with Edge-inspired guitar work coming through on an acoustic guitar, while the song expanded into Stone Roses soundscapes. It sounded like a lost 90’s Britpop masterpiece. Okay, maybe there was more to this artist than I thought.
“Time Will Tell” confirmed it for me, with its plaintive delivery and shimmering sonics. This guy was a talent, hiding away down in South America. As I read up on him, I saw that he was responsible for writing the music, lyrics, playing guitar, singing and the synths and software. I listened to more of his singles, and they too, did not disappoint. Michael Frelinghuysen is an artist who needs to be heard. He deserves to have a break-out moment.
Hopefully this piece helps get him there. Listen to a few of his excellent tracks in our Bad Ass Break-Outs Playlist.
The Indy Review 