Joe Boris has quietly earned a reputation over the years as one of the
preeminent East Coast musicians thanks to his work alongside such
luminaries as The Band’s Garth Hudson, New Riders of the Purple Sage
player Buddy Cage, and Michael Falzarano of Hot Tuna, among others. He’s
a songwriter of note as well via contributing over fifty tunes for East
Coast jam band One-Eyed Jack. The truth is, however, that Boris’ music
has universal appeal extending far past the confines of the Eastern
Seaboard. It’s no more evident than in his new single “Set Me Free” from
Boris’ Anthology release.
The track opens with a slinky bass line backed by low-key FX sounds akin
to water running. Guitar and drums soon drop in and a loose, relaxed and
confident groove is soon established. The aforementioned guitar
alternates between choppy riffing and melodic phrases. There’s a
definite reggae feel to this track that’s further underlined by the
lyrics. The song’s an unadulterated ode to smoking the finest ganja and
its liberating effects on the human consciousness. No one will confuse
Boris’ lyrical prowess with high, no pun intended, poetry, but the
message is clear.
Boris’ singing has a rough hewn quality, never too rough, but it
resounds with enough soul that it gives the lyrics added weight. He’s
obviously working at an inspired peak throughout the song and the
accompanying female voices hit the right counterpoint. The third vocal
aspect that distinguishes the song is the presence of wah-wah guitar
during the track. The singing value of the long-time staple of rock
guitar and jam music cannot be ignored. It answers Boris’ voice at key
points during the cut and gives it so much more than it would otherwise
possess.
The production boasts an earthy touch appropriate for the genre and the
subject. It puts Boris’ voice up front without ever slighting his
accompaniment. Some may pshaw the running time, five minutes plus, but
this is also appropriate for a performer who has built his name as a
longtime stalwart of the East Coast jam band scene. On another note, it
should be pointed out that despite the song’s subject matter, there’s a
feeling in this song that transcends marijuana smoking.
ONLINE:
It's about enjoying life. It’s about freeing ourselves from the cares of
a world that all too often cares little or nothing about us. In this
way, even people who don’t smoke can latch onto the song’s emotion
without feeling shut out by the experiences portrayed during the
performance. The music, certainly, conveys the same emotion. It has a
woozy, smiling tilt that invites us to come further into its world. Joe
Boris knows what he’s doing. He’s been doing it a long time now and as
“Set Me Free” so strongly puts forward, he’ll likely be with us for a
long time to come. That’s cool, man.