Over the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to see Sophie B Hawkins in concert a bunch of times. She has been promising a new album and teasing a few of the new songs. Finally her new album, Free Myself, has dropped and it’s totally been worth the wait. Finally I get to hear the recorded versions of her go-to set list songs and newest singles “Love Yourself” with it’s 70’s self-love vibe and “Better Off Without You” with it’s thriving post break-up story line, which is a songwriting genre that I’m a sucker for.
Free Myself is a much softer and vulnerable Sophie, but her voice is as raspy and uniquely her own as always. You don’t confuse Sophie voice with anyone else’s, in my gay opinion. The new Sophie is much more about ballads and fancy guitar work. “Free Myself” has a Spanish flair and “Consume Me In Your Fire-Demo” goes more bluegrass. There are some hints of 90’s Sophie, “Hungered For Love” has an old-school Whaler sound and “Fairy Tales” is reminiscent of her Tongues And Tails era. Whatever Sophie style is your favorite, she’s serving it up here.
This Friday I have tickets to see her in concert again at the Fairfield Theater Company. Since it’s a tour promoting the new album, I’m hoping the majority of the songs will come from Free Myself with some of her hits thrown in. Sophie is all about her fans at her shows and releasing the music we want. I know I’ll have a good time, just like I knew Free Myself would be a solid album, there’s no halfway with Sophie!
