Tommy Atkins new single has
divided us at Silverball Country. Having
been at Wham’s final concert back in June 1986 Rik finds it difficult to listen
to Freedom without hearing George Michael singing it in the very 80s pop style.
Francesca, being so much
younger, and not such a Wham fan hears this as a song to listen to on the porch
as Tommy has certainly made it into a country song.
Tommy himself describes it as
“laden with fiddle and steel and harmonies.
It’s a real country heartbreak”
The guitar with the beautiful
fiddle underneath is one of the best Country intros we’ve heard in a long time
which is matched by Tommy’s soft vocals starting to tell us a story of love and
heartache.
As we approach the chorus we
split again – with Tommy opting for the slowed down, rural style with the steel
guitar underlining the country styling of this cover.
In comes the drum for the
second verse and with it we pick up the pace getting Grandma rocking out of her
chair. Even a Wham fan will find
themselves singing along at this point.
As the song progresses we move from porch to stage – taking us to the
barn dance and Grandma back to her high school prom. While the pace goes up, we are reminded that
Tommy is singing this as a lament, and slows it back down to use the final
chorus as a declaration of what he really wants – all he really wants is
you.
This is a message that love
is love, and Tommy hopes that it will appeal to the LGBTQ community in Country
Music. For Tommy this is also a tribute to one of the greatest songwriters and his
favourite Wham song.
Listen to this song on the porch or wearing your Choose Life T Shirt
Freedom the new single from Tommy Atkins is available to download and stream on all major platforms
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