You can bet your bottom dollar that Ben Reilly is destined for greatness. Every release by him feels intentional and calculated. Blown away by the incredible rollout of his last project “Freelance,” it was the perfect introduction to him and gave us enough substance to understand some of the complex layers that make up Reilly. A whole year later, he picks up where he left off with “Freelance: Charlie.”
It’s ubiquitous for artists to get stuck in their ways and get too comfortable. For that reason alone, Reilly’s gradual progression should be documented. Expanding on his previous success, his hunger is admirable as he continues to climb the ranks. Maintaining a high level of consistency, he kept building off his momentum and feeding his core fan base. These nine new songs from the now Atlanta-based artist shows he was only scratching the surface of his true potential on the last release.
“This project is a B-Sides/Deluxe version of ‘Freelance’ composed of old and new ideas that didn’t make the original whilst expanding upon the world in which it themes.” — Ben Reilly on Freelance: Charlie
Based on this album, Reilly appears to be at a place in his life where creative freedom is crucial, and he’s freely making music that makes him happy. It all starts with the intro song, “No Strings: My Window,” which sets the tone. Embracing certain qualities of his spirit animal, a bird, Reilly soars across this track with the same freedom. My favorite track off the project is “Brand New Free.” Reilly’s relaxed flow and the infectious production make this the catchiest song here. Lyrics like “that sword ain’t sharper than this pen/my head has gotten way too big” let you know he’s aware that this is a solidified hit. It’s scary when Reilly is firing at all cylinders, and you catch him in rare form as we did on this project.
There’s no telling what the future has in store for Ben Reilly, but if he keeps consistently dropping heat like this, the odds will be in his favor. Check out “Freelance: Charlie” if you need something rejuvenating to listen to.
