"As a result, Upstate New York highways near the Vermont border have tons of billboards: one for a cow-themed country store sandwiched between one for a sex shop and one with a picture of a fetus and a call for sinners to repent. Something haunts these highways and the towns they connect, making the region as surreal as it is scenic."
"Not every great album hits on the first listen, but Freeman's second record, Burnover, somehow feels like it's always existed. He draws from many of the same influences as his peers in an indie rock landscape that's taken renewed interest in country and slacker rock but gives these genres a sense of momentum and verve. Freeman's take on alt-country amps up the drama, whether he's trafficking in historical fiction ("Burnover," "Wolf Pine") or first-person heartbreak ("Gallic Shrug," "Sawmill")."
Vermont bans billboards, so highways on the New York side near the border are dense with roadside advertisements, creating surreal juxtapositions of imagery and messages. The region's towns and roads carry an uncanny, haunted quality, mixing scenic beauty with odd, sometimes seedy landmarks. Personal recollections describe college-era drives, snow treks to a lone bar where farmers and truckers sing karaoke, and local rumors about a professor banned for fighting and singing. Burlington-based musician Greg Freeman channels these local tales into his songs. His second record, Burnover, blends alt-country and slacker rock influences into dramatic, tender road songs ranging from historical fiction to first-person heartbreak.
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