When Freedom dies by Audren comes as a skillfully produced reflection on the independence and inner knowledge, bundled in the type of high-brow indie pop package that requires multiple hearings. This is a music that believes in its audience, and does not want to over-sell its message or water down its audio sophistication to make it simple and easy to digest.
The song begins with a hypnotic feeling and this instantly sets the contemplative theme of the song. Then there is a rich woven form of instrumentation, piano, guitar and bass getting into each other to create a few moments of jazzy dissonance that drift through the sea of serenity which prevails in the entire song. These repetitions are not so much disruptions as they are reminders, they have to be made to get their listeners out of complacency.
The voice used by Audren is burdened with experience. She writes with flair and genuineness having struggled with Lyme disease and having sailed through the treachery of medical misinformation. Her voice is very even, quite calming, yet demanding, yet very medicinal yet very compelling at the same time. The difference between her controlled poems and the uncivilized emotion which bursts in the bridge gives real effect--a shout of revolt which is not artificial but heart-felt.
The musicianship is outstanding. The bass performance is especially brilliant, its melodic improvisational accents to the arrangement give it depth. The guitar solo, a choir, and an impressive impression of the rebellious spirit of Pink Floyd are not imitated but rather summoned by the musician without the use of any instruments, and the repetition of the mantras in the outro is truly reassuring.
This is not background music or listening. This is something that Audren has made that is a tribute to craft and conviction--a protest song without anger, a warning without hopelessness. The success of When Freedom Dies is that it has not attempted to patronise. It, instead, brings us to the discussion of vigilance, self-confidence, and the bravery to think on our own. Such artistry seems all the more important in a created-consensus era.
