TUNEFILE: “ELi A Free is a musical polymath shrouded In between days”

Artist: ELi A Free

Release date: April 5, 2018

Genre: Alternative/ Indie 

Label: Mousike Media

ELi A Free is a Ghanaian Alternative singer-songwriter who creates honest music with an experimental demand. In a world where attention-seeking music (commercial music) rules (music plagued by ubiquitous soundscape and endless stream of shallow lyrical content), artists like ELi A Free are rarer than an albino owl. — Yes I said it!, and you’ll soon realize how truthful this statement is. “The Inbetween Days” is a genre-hopping, emotive, poetic and personal opus that flows in multiple routes, converging to form an addictive and powerful  soundscape. This project seems like a patchwork of ELi’s vast musical knowledge and life experiences. This album offers an introspective blend of soul, jazz, mellow-highlife, Bluesy-rock elements and smooth Afrobeat vibes. The album blends retro vibes with new school elements effortlessly. Without further ado, let’s dig into ELi A Free’s eight-song sonic masterpiece. Each song will get  my gut reaction from start to finish. 

1. “Beyond”

“Beyond” is the opening track. The instrumentation is amazing, it hits me like a sweet summer breeze. The mellow acoustic soul groove spits psychedelic vibes. Oh Lawd! the drum lines are as smooth as butter. I’m loving this. “I fought men who are really not men in the fields and my name still survives”ELi  sings this emotive and poetic lines with his powerful voice. The lyrics are so striking, yet they communicate an immense depth of emotion. I love his voice — it’s smooth and gets really raspy as the song moves towards the end. there’s a little build-up, drums hit stronger now. A melodic violin sound flirts in the background, and you can miss it’s magic if you’re not attentive. It’s immediately clear that this is a legit soul number. It’s immediately clear: this is an honest and soulful piece, shimmering with spirituality. “Beyond” is the type of track that alternative RnB singers like Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean and Brent Faiyez will kill to jump on.The message of this song centers on bravery and not being afraid. — Let’s move on. 

2. “Torch” 

Oh! This sounds musically fun and lyrically deep. The instrumentation is everything. “Torch” is a jumpy soul song with bluesy-rock vibe. ELi A Free enters with an energetic Wyclef Jean-esque howl. He’s musically in tune and it’s crystal clear. Second song in, and you can feel the strong diversity in the production. The lyrics to “Torch” is hauntingly truthful, relatable and personal. The electric guitar solo is transportive. The ending is beautiful: a guitar line, then a melodic violin tune. Next!

3. “Sabotage”

Afrobeat tune? This sounds like a mellow Afrobeat track, and I love the mesmerizing effect. What! I just noticed the keys, they are shimmering. It’s seems the guy behind the piano is high on some alien reefer. “Sabotage” centers on the love and relationships we take for granted. This sounds like a Fela Kuti track, only that “Sabotage” is smoother and sweeter than Fela Kuti’s militant delivery technique. 

4. “The Devil is in the Detail”

Tempo drops. Thankfully, the guitar strumming is vibrant and transportive. A melodic verse drops. A love song?  I really love this song, it’s mood effective and shows his vocal range.  ELi A Free delivers an addictive falsetto with a sincere demand.

5. “W.I.L.D”

Nice Title. Simple. Instrumentation on point. The “alien reefer high” pianist resurfaces here and I love what he’s doing. “W. I .L. D” gives me Nina Simone vibes. The consistency in ELi A Free’s voice, instrumentation, lyrics and energy is beyond this world. Not a bad record. “W.I.L.D” centers on locating a lost lover. I love the imagery he paints with his words. He’s singing in a tone I love.

6. “Always Me” 

Wow! — I’m so glued now. I’m in too deep to get out now. I’m so in love with ELi A Free’s mind and I wish I could borrow it for a day. His songwriting prowess is top notch. ELi is a legend in the making, and his talent scares me because you can’t predict his next move musically. “Always Me” sounds like a Zara McFarlane or Ntjam Rosie tune.

7. “Save Self” 

Oh, Interesting! It’s a full record. Oh yeah, I like this a lot. It sounds like a perfect Osibisa song. “Save Self” centers on Karma and retribution. ELi A Free is an impressive wordsmith and it’s crystal clear on this album. I love how he uses imagery to create vivid storytelling patterns in his songs. His voice and instrumentation is still consistent.

8. “Me Do”

Piano-tinged highlife song? I love this song because it has some Twi lyrics. “Me Do” is a perfect end to magical album. All I know is ELi A Free is a king. PERIOD!

CONCLUSION: “The Inbetween Days” displays the full ammunition of ELi A Free’s artistic and vocal range. I’m still absorbing and processing everything I’ve heard.  I think this album is one of my favorite Ghanaian musical productions of all time — a very powerful and emotional piece. I don’t think I can ever recover from the hypnotic powers of this album. 

ELi A Free’s Omon Jara ( Ft. Worlasi ) is an amazing 2019 (single) release you need to check out.