Late to the Greg Freeman parade but making up for lost time, I’m here to sing the praises of just one single song. Namely, what I think should be the standout single from his 2025 album Burnover: “Gulch.” Ever since his debut LP I Looked Out hit the shops in 2022 the critical appreciation of his work has been building, with comparisons stretching from Pavement to Big Star. But “Gulch” is something different. Now stick with me here while I head out on a shaky limb but the influence I hear is none other than Bruce Springstreen. Think of all that voluminous material from The River that was sprinkled with just a touch of new wave charm. The cadence of the way the lyrics gel with the wonderfully chordy tune just sounds so New Jersey troubadour. Freeman is really cramming the lyrics in with a Bruce-ian intensity. But the value added here is dynamic rhythm guitar attack that comes between verses and the jazzy lead guitar breakout during the song’s instrumental excursion.

Freeman is just about to deliver his new album All Set The Bone and that is going to a sonic event not for missing. Check him out on his throwback 1990s website and Bandcamp locales.