featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
October 6, 2026
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK
The way Greg Freeman tells it, he wasn't really expecting much attention for his 2022 LP, I Looked Out. A slow but steady parade of appreciation led to the album's 2024 reissue on the Transgressive label. His follow-up, Burnover, showed a careful attempt to gather the pieces of his frayed artistry for popular consumption, in case anyone was listening. The Vermont songwriter was being saddled with the mantle of This Week's Jason Molina, likened to the red-hot MJ Lenderman. In interviews, Freeman demonstrated a penchant for self-effacement and humility: I'm not a particularly interesting person.
And yet, the masses disagreed, finding charm in his unkempt sound. Early reviews of Greg Freeman's third project, All Set the Bone, are already advancing it for year-end consideration. The thirteen-song collection charges between his most radio-ready work and his most experimental efforts, all of which indicates an increased confidence and a more deliberate artistic direction. Freeman dares listeners to remain atop of changing time signatures, discordant vocals, and lyrics sparking doubt and distrust. The seven-plus minute "Marooned" is fractured into divergent movements, ranging from unexpectedly moving to pummeling guitars: Do you feel your world will shatter at the slightest touch. The electric guitars on "Culture" stomp and scratch atonally, until they're tamed and corralled by horns, Freeman declaring, Blood from a stone / A vacant soul / No culture / And no more rock 'n roll.
All Set the Bone frees much of what was kept in check on Burnover, giving way to clatter and clamor. Even the set's quieter pieces ("Hail Mary", "Bury Me the Shovel") can seem restless and unsteady. Greg Freeman continues to include piano and horns into his arrangements, which often serve as a compass for listeners who threaten to lose their bearing. The captivating "Bury Me" recalls early Felice Brothers or Bright Eyes' more rambling sessions, including fiddle and banjo alongside a trumpet: Who's Up there shaking this cracked snow globe? "Costs" flirts with a playfulness and (dare we say it) soul, the piano and keys lending to the song's late-night barroom vibe: This life works like a palindrome / You're spit out or spitting up into the great unknown.
And it's all beautiful. Bruised and vulnerable beneath its occasional guitar-hero residue, Freeman's lyrics unfailingly human, both wider-ranging and more grounded than Molina while keeping hold of the late artist's haunted imagery. On "Next To Nothing": They'll stick you in the streets to fill up pot holes / And cut down state crucifixions from telephone poles / It's not the end of the world / But it sure as hell might be the end of yours. But Freeman is pure, howling heart on All Set the Bone, and moments like "Cahokia" and "Indu" masterfully trade heartbreak for a more major key appeal. The singer urges his vocal beyond its breaking point: All I want to do is look at you / Looking at me with the moonlight in your eyes. Dealing with demons elsewhere allows him room for this kind of heartfelt expression without compromise. "Loser's Prize" builds its Southern rock on urgent piano: When I'm alone I can be anyone / But when I'm with you, I'm me. The sentiment is hard-earned.
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