Review by Ama Cruz, RadioAirplay.com
Overall Impression: Erol Oz delivers powerful and honest lyrics in Free, never sugar coating the struggles of being an artist, instead, giving encouragement and reason to never give up on one’s artistry. Free is the best of Americana music, displaying gorgeous arrangements of string instruments, with a performance that display Erol’s classically trained background as well as his velvety voice. Everything here is right. And if Erol’s lyricism is speaking from experience, I’m glad that he kept pursuing his passion, and I hope he never gives up because we need more real musicians in the this world. We need more Erol Oz types in this world. – Ama Cruz
Strongest Point(s): After the first few seconds of Free, I immediately knew that Erol Oz was a classically trained musician, and I listened to the song before reading anything about him. The layering of instruments – especially the violin and acoustic guitar – as well as the performances are of the highest quality. The structure of the song is perfect! Every instrument comes in at the right time, organically, in total harmony with Erol’s velvety voice. And although Erol says that Free is “meant to depict the love and hardship of musicians struggling to make a living in 2020,” to me, this song is timeless, with musicians and artists always having struggles to make a living and find the recognition they deserve.
Target Audience Appeal: This song will appeal to a wide audience because, no matter what genre you’re into, Erol Oz has a voice that can be appreciated by anyone who enjoys a good vocal session. Free is the purest form of Americana/folk, yet it blends elements of country and even indie pop. Free will appeal to audiences of all ages, especially those now in their 20s and 30s who’s musical influences include Ed Sheeran and bands like Rogue Wave. This is for the down to earth, smart, musical festival going, locally brewed coffee and beer enjoying, nature loving – type of person.
Artist target suggestions: Nick Drake, Ed Sheeran, Sun Kil Moon, Fleet Foxes, Calum Scott, Tim Buckley, Elliott Smith, M. Ward, Jeff Buckley, Rogue Wave, Band of Horses, Josh Ritter, Aimee Mann, John Prine, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Iron & Wine
About The Reviewer: Ama Cruz is an instrumentalist, writer, and has over a decade of professional experience in arts management, including her time working for Sony’s Latin/Jazz PR division. She has contributed as a music journalist and editor for publications.
“Free” is set to release on all streaming platforms on 9/1/2020. You can pre-save on Spotify at: https://show.co/mFzYYmr
