Following the late-2025 release of his second album Gift In The Shadows, UK singer-songwriter Charlie Freeman, known as FREE/MAN, returns with the Reconnection EP, a smaller but deeply intentional offering that acts almost like a spiritual palate cleanser. Where the album wrestles openly with darkness, forgiveness, and the long road back to oneself, Reconnection leans toward the quiet moments when clarity begins to settle in. Freeman has always written from a place of lived experience, from learning guitar during his father’s illness to rebuilding after his cancelled 2020 tour, and this release keeps that thread alive. There’s warmth here, reflection, and a subtle sense of renewal that arrives without fanfare, like the first breath after a long cry.
“Not Tomorrow” opens the EP with a relaxed sway of strumming guitars, an easy rhythm to nod your head to, and Freeman’s high husky voice trails the verses conversationally. He lets the melodies unfurl the way thoughts arrive when you finally stop rushing. The charismatic looseness to his delivery, but underneath it, strings glide in with richness and emotional lift. The song feels like accepting life on its own terms by being gentle, imperfect, and hopeful despite everything.
Through the EP comes his rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” sung with disarming simplicity. Freeman keeps the arrangement spare with soft, steady acoustic strums and a vocal that carries ease and deep humanity. He’s letting it breathe, letting the lyrics speak for themselves. His slightly worn but warm voice makes the refrain “songs of freedom” feel lived, as well.
Reconnection is exactly what its title implies. It’s a return to presence, to meaning, to music as something that heals rather than performs. Listen to FREE/MAN’s Reconnection EP on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan