Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

The act of being free is a double-edged sword, the dream of being unbound and unattached to every draconian rule and instruction can seem like a dream come true, but for some the idea, the practise, of being unanswerable to ‘The Man’ can cause panic, alarm, and fear, for in the process of having been chained to a perception of structure, they can no longer imagine the bliss of being anything but servants to the masters and their will.

The pursuit of freedom comes with a price, and the cost is too high for some to write a cheque for, their pen stuttering over the signature, the sweat of a possible future too frightening to contemplate without the aid of a security blanket; and yet to be told You Are Free is one that comes with no price tag, it just has to be taken, seized, removed from the invisible powers and enjoyed for what it actually is, the freedom to sing your own song and in the way you have always believed you could.

Freedom accepted is the gift shared by Graeme Armstrong in his debut solo album, and one that the listener will surely feel dig down beneath the skin and onwards towards the soul as each track resonates, as each traditional standard is unleashed with a flourish, and the confidence of writing his own thoughts are given free rein, so the album becomes of joyous occasion; not only set free but urged to explore beyond what could originally be seen.

With freedom in your sights, you must remove the bonds of others, and with tremendous support from accomplished names such as Cathy Blain, Kier Long, Rachel Newton, Michael Owers, Bevan Morris, Mattie Foulds, Jennifer Austin, and Duncan Lyall all producing scintillating arrangements and sounds to tracks such as the opener Isle Of France, and sweet unmasked beauties as William’s Song, My Son David, Both Sides The Tweed, and Fine Flowers In The Valley, Graeme Armstrong sets the soul free, a set of timeless movements which become obtainable to the modern ear and bring forth satisfaction and beauty.

 You Are Free is the act of a sincere performer, one who understands that if you don’t set out at least once to do what you want, you will never do it all, you will always wonder what it meant to have control over your own destiny. An album of grace and wonder, of honouring tradition but also of your own belief, Graeme Armstrong’s freedom is our own. 

Graeme Armstrong’s You Are Free is out now and available from Graeme Armstrong Records.

Ian D. Hall