MIKE FREUND
“Kicking Dirt”
Single review by Mike O’Cull www.mikeocull.com
Hot-handed blues/rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Mike Freund gives listeners a big dose of the heavy stuff with his new single “Kicking Dirt.”
The track is set to drop on November 22nd, 2023 and impressively channels several streams of guitar heaviness while still delivering an original sound and a relevant vision. It begins with a harder-than-Zeppelin drum beat that is quickly topped by a low-tuned, power chord blues groove. The resulting vibe is a full-on lamentation of hard times that lives somewhere between Gov’t Mule and Black Sabbath.
Freund also does fine work on lead vocals. His style and mannerisms fit and reflect the song’s difficult subject matter perfectly and you can feel the genuine pain in his voice. The lyrics tell a tough story about despair, loss, liquor, and perseverance that anyone living in the real world will relate to at once.
Freund then intersperses his savage, slashing slide guitar lines to achieve maximum impact. The overall effect is ghostly and trembling. “Kicking Dirt” will haunt you for a long time after your first encounter with it. The way it blends heavy blues with an almost doom metal vibe is refreshing and will appeal to those who like their rock music slow and low.
Mike Freund has been building a legit body of work and a sterling live reputation for a long time now. Blending influences ranging from The Allman Brothers Band and Guns N’ Roses to Bruce Springsteen and The Meters, Freund’s albums Toe The Line, And Now You Know, IN BETWEEN Acoustic Vol 1, and Twenty Twenty have found traction with a whole lot of fans. He is one of the most encouraging new artists to emerge in the last few years and lovers of top-shelf blues and American rock and roll need to hear him at once.
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