Album review by: Musicreview.co.za

You gotta give credit to bands who release their music for free – especially, independent artists. They slave away in rehearsals, cough up a fortune to use a studio, and pay more than enough to put a producer’s children through school, all so that you can have some music to rip to your external hard drive and then shift along to your friends. For that, I tip my imaginary hat to Captain Stu for taking on this rewardless project.

Nonetheless, that’s where my plaudits end, because I have a sneaky suspicion that all the line-up changes are finally getting to the band’s sound –particularly, in the vocal department. It’s dreadfully obvious on Free Music that vocalist/guitarist James Klopper is struggling to fill former singer Nick Key’s shoes. Compare an older track like ‘Message of Love’ to ‘Han Solo’ off this EP, and it becomes crystal-clear who has the better pipes.

The press release says that the album “manages to still keep the signature fun, bouncy, energetic Captain Stu vibe” – sorry, I disagree, Free Music feels lethargic and lacking in imagination. If you weigh up this release to anything from Hog Hoggidy Hog or even Fuzigish’s ska work, it’s poor in comparison. The band prides itself on its zaniness and outlandish personalities, but it now needs to extend this appeal back into their lacklustre music. Ultimately, Free Music is a letdown.