David Crosby – For Free
BMG – 23 July 2021
I have been released from my self-imposed 2021 Dylan lockdown to finally soak up some of the new folky, singer-songwriter sounds that the year has to offer, and so what hot new sound catches my ear first? Well, it just happens to be another artist a mere handful of sleeps away from his 80th birthday! I think there could be a niche for me here; the way things are going, I could be the Folk Radio octogenarian correspondent. If there is one thing you can say for David Crosby, however, it is that he is not living out the autumn of his years with a reflective, nostalgic glow. All told, the David Crosby we find in 2021 is a man very much still burning with passion, which leads me to the good news; all that fire and restlessness is being channelled into his music. And with the arrival of this new album, a stunning late-period renaissance continues to unfold.
‘For Free’ is produced by Crosby’s son James Raymond who is fully immersed in the collaboration; he even wrote one of the standout tracks, ‘The Other Side Of Midnight’. This song has some very 21st-century sounding reverb effects on the vocals, which, on paper, should not do a natural element like Crosby any favours. Still, this production knows what it is doing, and the listener cannot argue against these choices because they work. As a calling card for the potency of this blood pairing as a creative unit, it is quite the statement, but this iconic artist knows his strengths are best realised in collaboration. His music is an exploration into the range and heart of that legendary voice, an instrument that remains astoundingly strong and true. He has never been a straight-ahead singer-songwriter; indeed, his hippy freak flag is still blowing in the wind as he taps into the life-affirming, soul-nurturing strength in music. Crosby always walks the line between the modal jazz, freeform and delicately produced acoustic balladry. From the sixties onward, he captured that vibe most definitively when working with others. He remains unpredictable, never guaranteed to hit the target but go way back to The Byrds heyday and check out a nugget like ‘Lady Friend’ to realise he is a talent capable of pulling magic out of the bag without warning. Fast forward to today, and it is clear that Crosby is still most likely to realise his vision when vibing with other players, forever hoping to unlock that hair raising moment.
Folk Radio readers will be thrilled to note that one of my favourites, Sarah Jarosz, is among Crosby’s collaborators here. Still, she is joined by equally heavy hitters like the Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen from Steely Dan. Jarosz features on the title track a Joni Mitchell song familiar to Crosby that first appeared on the composers ‘Ladies Of The Canyon’ album in 1970. It was a beautiful meditative reflection just as it is today, a statement on how the pure spiritual expression of music does not gain anything when packaged and presented for commercial purposes. David and Sarah’s vocals are distinct over the lilting piano arrangement; his are more dramatic and hers more colourful of tone, but they knit together so well. Of the tune, David says, “it’s one of my favourite songs because I love what it says about the spirit of music and what compels you to play”. And if that were not enough of a late-sixties Laurel Canyon feel for you, I should draw your attention to this album’s cover art which is a portrait of Crosby painted; rather superbly, it has to be said, by Joan Baez.
The album opener ‘River Rise’ was co-written with Raymond and McDonald; it is a thoroughly modern-sounding take on that sunshine California vibe on which McDonald also contributes some harmony vocals. The sound is sun-kissed, with a slight country lilt which turns the record on decisively and an uplifting chorus that, according to Raymond, “speaks to the empowerment of everyman or everywoman”. By contrast, ‘I Think I’ has more of an echo back to that easy Crosby, Stills & Nash sound, although again there is a punchy texture to the choruses, a reassuring assertion that life’s lessons have been learned and pointed the way forward. There are also some superb guitar flourishes to be enjoyed here, which I assume are the work of the talented, multi-instrumentalist Raymond.
Another wholly original song of special note is ‘Rodriguez For A Night’, which Donald Fagen actually wrote specifically for this record. Sounding like a seamless fusion of Steely Dan and CSN, the narrative gifts of Fagen shine through as David executes a polished vocal performance. The man himself has said of the song, “Steely Dan’s my favourite band and I’ve admired Donald a long time, so that was a thrill for us”. He really does indeed rise to the occasion here, just as he does for the entire album. The abiding impression ‘For Free’ leaves on you is that, as a whole work, the David Crosby presenting himself to the world in 2021 possesses a greater focus and a drive. He sounds re-invigorated by the connections he makes with his art and the processes of realising these recordings. There is brevity and urgency to the pieces that show a man not prepared to waste time; in fact, he sounds determined to make up for lost time by producing strong work worthy of the name. Long-time fans and new converts to David Crosby will find much to love on this album which spotlights all that is fine about the man and his pure voice.
For Free is out 23 July via BMG
Photo Credit: Anna Webber