Our coverage of Freidrich$ so far has shown him to be something of a chameleon, unafraid to test the boundaries of his own music. His album I Came Across is no different.
By Graeme Smith
Previous albums Demo(n)s and …From What? have given us poetic trap and collaborative genre-hopping respectively. The latter saw the artist team up with Azalias for a heartfelt record under the name Outsideness.
I Came Across sees Freidrich$ flip the script once more, delving into the world of soulful R&B and acoustic folk (with a few twists along the way.)
The stripped-back approach works well for him. The lightness of the instrumental gives plenty of space for the lyrics and each word is keenly felt. The vocals too take on a quality that I didn’t expect, conveying emotion more strongly than ever before.
When my favourite artist Conor Oberst gets mentioned as an inspiration, I know I’m in for a treat, and Freidrich$ certainly channels the alternative legend’s talent for rawness and melancholy. Also in the mix are elements of Nick Drake and Elliot Smith.
Additionally, Frank Ocean gets a name check in the lyrics of Ocean Roar and much of I Came Across celebrates Ocean’s style.
Haute Tension is the soulful, acoustic opener, setting the mood of the record with lyrics that are full of dark nostalgia. It’s the grey cloud to an Indian summer’s silver lining. A bold, brassy climax marks an evolution of Freidrich$’s sound.
The biting and acoustic Alissa with an I Pt. 3 is a highlight thanks to its stripped-back frankness and catchy chorus. As the album reaches its end it moves from the smooth and soulful to the frenetic and unravelled. Hider is another highlight due to its intimacy and unexpected electronic groove. Fireflies end things moodily with a slow lo-fi instrumental and lyrics full of imagery and narrative.
It’s tempting to say that when an artist puts out music that’s varied in style that they’re still finding their signature sound, but I don’t think that’s the case with Freidrich$. The singer-songwriter knows who he is and can apply his unique approach to just about anything. His personality remains intact no matter what the genre. I’m excited to hear what he gives us next.
If you want to keep up to date with all he’s doing, you can by following him on Soundcloud, Spotifyand YouTube.
I Came Across is out now, and you can listen to it below.
