These days, it’s unusual for a band to release full length albums that span multiple discs. CADEJO did that with their second full length, FREEBODY, and again released a multi-disc third album. The 23 songs give you one hour and 48 minutes worth of music. With these two albums, CADEJO presents four full lengths worth of music.
CADEJO’s mix of indie rock, funk, groove, and soul music is easily heard in every song. FREEVERSE is an investment. In some ways, I feel like the point of FREEVERSE is to sit in the background and play like a soundtrack, building a narrative across the two discs. The varied song lengths help build chapters in this experience with songs like “Idris” flowing like the tide across its eight minutes or “Be Yourself” simply offering a nice and melodic hook.
And I think the best way to listen to FREEVERSE is to listen to the album from “Free Verse” to “Day Drinking.” There’s a deliberate setup to the song order. It’s like a song for each hour of the day with the more melodic and easygoing songs on disc one and the slightly more chaotic tracks on disc two when the night bleeds past midnight. This is heard on “Lying Tree.”
The danger of releasing so many tracks is that repetition can appear quickly, but CADEJO somehow presents different tracks across the entire album. The only repetitive thing is how CADEJO moves between different song styles. Some songs are straightforward indie rock and funk tracks with vocals. Others are brighter instrumentals or slightly more jam-style exploratory tracks. And the track order gives FREEVERSE a flow that never gets boring.
While the goal is to get through FREEVERSE in one sitting, it’s difficult to give the album the almost two hours the album demands. I would suggest listening to at least each disc in one sitting. CADEJO balanced the songs on both discs so each one has standout songs.
FREEVERSE is a great set of songs and highlights the band’s ability to combine multiple genres together and compose music that sticks with you. Even with the time between the second full length and this album, CADEJO has only improved and should get a lot more attention from listeners.