16. April 2025
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Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Sophie B. Hawkins - Free Myself

Sophie B. Hawkins - Free Myself
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • The voice of Sophie B. Hawkins
  • Very intense listens

If I could wish to see an artist live on stage for the first time, Sophie B. Hawkins would definitely be on my list. Songs like Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover could easily make it to the Songs of my Life. On 24th March 2023, she is releasing her sixth studio album overall, Free Myself. I just had to have a listen.

 

Sophie B. Hawkins – About The Artist

Sophie Ballentine Hawkins was born on 1st November 1964 in New York City. The rock and pop artist had the peek of her career in the early 1990’s. Especially her debut album Tongues and Tails has been a global success. The song Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover was a chart song in many parts of the world, including Top 5 positions in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. Tongues and Tails also featured the single release California Here I Come, which had some success. In August 1994, Hawkins released the album Whaler, which was driven by two single releases, Right Beside You (1994) and As I Lay Me Down (1995).

The frequency of Sophie B. Hawkins decreased, and so did her chart success. The most recent album by the artist is as of June 2012, The Crossing. It did not have any chart success.

 

Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 39 minutes.

1. Love Yourself

Honestly, I was super-curious – and a bit of nervous – before listening to this album.. Sophie B. Hawkins is a special artist of my music life to me. Thus, I am thankful that the album starts with the feature single. The song I featured in my Songs of the Week as of 7th October 2022. It feels familar – and creates these typical Sophie B. Hawkins vibes. Beautiful pop track.

2. Better Off Without You

The album continues with an already known track. Better Of Without You has not been as successful as the opener, but I really like it. The slightly raspy Sophie B. Hawkins voice suits so well to the atmospheric verses as well as to the melodic chorus. I am smiling after two songs.

3. Green Eyes

Sophie B. Hawkins released two songs of Free Myself, so that all tunes coming from now on are really new ones. Green Eyes comes with cello and acoustic guitar sounds and rather quiet. The four minute track is a developing and gaining more and more energy, but overall, it keeps its very intimate style.

4. Free Myself

The title track is on the fourth position of the album setlist. It is one out of two songs, which is longer than 4:30 minutes. I wanna free myself with you opens the chorus of a beautiful ballad. And Sophie B. Hawkins kept her asset, which turned her into a music star in the 1990’s: her incredible, characteristic voice.

5. Consume Me in Your Fire (Demo)

This demo-style recording with its raw. unmastered character is a very special listen on the 2023 album. It feels even more personal, more direct than the other songs on the album. And you more or less just have strumming guitars and Sophie B. Hawkins’ voice (apart from some wider arrangement towards the end). Maybe not a radio track, but still a blast of a listen.

6. Hungered for Love

Hungered for Love is one of my favorites on this album. It does not have the power and volume of her most famous songs, but the aura this track is creating is so intense.

7. Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales is one of the most complex listens. The song has the ease of the rock song, but it also has rock and Americana vibes. Oh, and there are brass sounds as well. And a groove which makes you move. There are so many things to discover in these Fairy Tales, I have to listen to them a couple of times.

8. Angel in Disguise

You’re playing with the devil, but you’re an angel in disguise – this is another song, which does not need too many ingredients to be an intense listen. The background instrumentation is on point – and then there is the exceptional sound on the microphone.

9. I’m Tired of Taking Care of You

After the intense listen of the two songs before, I appreciate that I’m Tired of Taking Care of You has more ease. A slow, but very soulful listen.

10. You Are My Balloon

The album does not really come with loud songs, which create a bang. And thus, the closing song is just in line with that. Piano and violins, which support the US-American artist. It does not need more. You Are My Balloon is already a beauty.

 

Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself – Spotify

Here is Sophie B. Hawkins’ 2023 album:

 

Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself – My View

I did not know what to expect before I listened to Free Myself. Surely, you want to stories like Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover to continue. When you think of Sophie B. Hawkins, you think of 1990’s memories. That’s long ago. The artist is more mature, more adult. The listeners grew with her. But Sophie B. Hawkins did not loose this very special ability to create very special music. Listening to her is still so enjoyable. And her voice is a blast. I’m in love with this album.

 

Travel Postings – New York

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