Audren returns with another fine piece of sonic artistry that will immediately resonate with anyone who appreciates wisely written, tastefully composed, and flawlessly performed music. “When Freedom Dies” is her latest piece of work, arriving as an appropriate continuation of “The Good Road,” another critically acclaimed standalone single released earlier this year that you should also check out as soon as possible. It’s also good to mention that this is the third single so far this year by this brilliant singer-songwriter and best-selling novelist, further showcasing her songwriting and composing abilities. Lyrically, “When Freedom Dies” acts as an ode to free will and a piece of wise and friendly advice. Due to her struggle with Lyme disease, Audren needed to learn to listen to her instincts. In times when we receive false information on many health topics, she felt the urge to write a protest song that serves as a warning not to follow the herd. Sonically, this composition further expands her sonic palette. Once again, she combines a singer-songwriter approach with various approaches, techniques, directions, and styles, painting a lush sonic imagery that immediately wraps around your listening apparatus and refuses to let go long after the last notes and beats end. Maybe indie rock and indie pop come to mind first, as these genres dominate in the mix, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon some soul, jazz, soft rock, art rock, and many more styles along the way. Audren carefully and tastefully combined everything together, without spoiling the initial sonic direction, resulting in one of the finest compositions you’ll hear in a while.
From the onset, it becomes apparent that this is a work of someone profoundly connected to music. There is tremendous emotion, honesty, and confidence in every vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver, and you’ll immediately realize you’re listening to a fine piece of sonic artistry assembled by a fascinating artist who understands how melody, harmony, ambiance, and percussion work. The way Audren layered everything together goes beyond comprehension so many times throughout the entire track, as each piece of a sonic puzzle creates a calm, soothing, relaxing, and ethereal yet complex and progressive soundscape that carries everything you ever needed from indie pop, indie rock, and art rock music. Audren’s soulful, passionate, sincere, and emotive vocal performance stands out here, as she navigates the initial melody with the confidence of someone who uses music to convey meaningful and important messages. Her voice commands attention, guides listeners, and elevates the entire sonic structure to new heights. The impressive vocal range expertly balances low, mid, and high notes, emphasizing all those sonic and rhythmic maneuvers with such precision and finesse. The carefully composed synths and keys play a significant role here, as they construct the main sonic structure and help Audren’s voice to shine even more. You’ll notice how all those subtle yet vividly hearable themes, melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, and ambient pads lurk around, making “When Freedom Dies” such a pleasant listening experience worth repeating over and over again. The guitars remain as subtle as possible, yet you’ll hear those calm, tender, delicate chord progressions, accentuations, and leads roaming around. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate together without spoiling each other, proving that Audren is a fascinating songwriter and composer who knows how to craft catchy, memorable, engaging songs.
Beneath all those subtle orchestrations, intricate basslines roar with warm, groovy, vividly hearable low-ends, offering more heaviness, clarity, and depth while binding all the mentioned instrumentations with rhythmic patterns. These basslines act as a counterbalance to all calm, soothing, relaxing, delicate synth and guitar works. Still, Audren implemented all these low ends without spoiling the ethereal soundscape, proving that she thought about everything while working on this exceptional song. From beginning to end, the drumming performance keeps everything in line and dictates groove and pace with tremendous precision. You’ll notice how this outstanding performance, based upon cleverly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, emphasizes every melody, harmony, and bassline. Once again, Audren proves she’s an outstanding singer-songwriter whose experience, knowledge, creativity, talent, and skills shine through every vocal harmony, synth line, guitar work, bassline, and drum beat. “When Freedom Dies” carries so many qualities that it’s nearly impossible to grasp them all in just one listening. It’s one of those songs that rewards repeated listens and encourages you to value your freedom above everything else. Without any doubt, it’s a catchy, memorable, hypnotic indie composition that showcases Audren’s fascinating writing and composing abilities, proving that she’s one of the finest singer-songwriters you could stumble upon on the contemporary music scene. Therefore, head to your favorite streaming platform and check this song out. It will immediately become a staple on your playlist.
Thoughts Words Action 