The title of Anjimile’s third album, You’re Free to Go, may immediately bring to mind the last thing said by an interrogator at the end of an intense grilling, but the opening song and title track to the release quickly suggests the Durham-based songwriter had a very different interpretation of the phrase when penning these songs. As he tells us, the source of blissed-out affection that permeates portions of the album derives from the sense of simplicity love tends to take on once you finally find it. There’s nothing stopping you—you, too, are free to go out in search of it.
What follows, naturally, is a series of what the artist calls “plainspoken, emotional pleas” set to Anjimile’s now-familiar art-pop take on contemporary indie folk, with You’re Free to Go’s sound being enhanced by a major figure within that canon: producer Brad Cook, who’s worked with everyone from The Mountain Goats to Bon Iver over the past 15 years. Anjimile specifically cites his recent work with Hurray for the Riff Raff as an influence, later shouting out recent tourmate José González and dream collaborator Iron & Wine as figures who additionally helped push the ideas explored on You’re Free to Go over the finish line. Yet it’s wholly Anjimile’s sense of romantic (and sweaty) ecstasy that sets most of these songs apart.
With the record out today via 4AD, find Anjimile’s track-by-track breakdown of the release below. Stream along, and order the record here.
1. “You’re Free to Go”
I wrote this song soon after meeting my partner. We had an amazing first date at this beautiful river and it kind of felt like stepping into a dream. And there was all this love and history and emotion in the water and it took the both of us away into this otherworldly space. And I’ve never left. You’re free to go there, too.
2. “Rust & Wire”
A song written in dead summer, with all of the sweat and salt and wet air and hot, hot heat that we get down here in North Carolina. Not just the summer heat, but the body heat and glistening skin and warmth and embodiment that you only feel when it’s about 20 degrees hotter than it ought to be. There’s beauty in that, and a kind of lust in submitting to the experience.
3. “Waits for Me”
This song was inspired by “Buffalo” by Hurray for the Riff Raff from their album The Past Is Still Alive. Brad Cook [the album’s producer] showed me this song months and months before it came out and I was completely blown away by the depth and simplicity and introspection of Alynda [Segarra]’s songwriting. It felt like a gauntlet being thrown down, and I think “Waits for Me” is kind of my response to that.
4. “Like You Really Mean It”
This one speaks for itself, I feel like. I like kissing my partner. We live an hour apart. I wrote this song as a kind of playful, flirty way to make my long distance sweetie smile. And it worked! This is one of their favorites, and I think that’s really cute.
5. “Turning Away”
I wrote this one shortly after going broke on tour in 2023. I just planned terribly, and I wasn’t prepared for all of the luggage fees from all the flights and all the cabs and Ubers and shit. I was like, “You know what? Touring is tough, and maybe I’m not cut out for it. And that’s OK.”
6. “Exquisite Skeleton”
I wrote this while opening for José González on tour in 2022. He was performing his latest record, Local Valley, and it was just incredibly beautiful to watch and experience as an audience member. I was so struck by his unique chord progressions and free-flowing composition. I definitely cribbed his style for this song—or tried to.
7. “The Store”
This is my favorite song on the album. It’s maybe the fastest song I’ve ever written. It’s simple, it’s direct, and it’s meaningful to me.
8. “Ready or Not”
Brad Cook and I wrote this song together way back in 2021, I think it was. It was one of our first times hanging out. He invited me over to his home studio for a jam, and I love jamming. The rest is history. It was such an effortless, fluid, emotional songwriting experience.
9. “Point of View”
I’m not sure what to say about this one. It’s two minutes long. Listen to it, and you’ll know what it’s about. I will say that this is definitely the most aggressive song I’ve ever written. I’m usually a pretty gentle songwriter, so this was an unexpected turn for me.
10. “Afarin”
A love song. An unrequited love song. This is another favorite of mine on the album.
11. “Destroying You”
The melody and fingerpicking for this song was directly inspired by Iron & Wine. I’ve always been a big fan, and when this song started coming out of my guitar for the first time I knew I wanted to draw from Our Endless Numbered Days–style melodies. In an absolute crazy twist, Sam Beam ended up singing backing vocals on this song. I still can’t believe that happened.
12. “Enough”
This is one of the oldest songs on the record. I think I was listening to a lot of acoustic late-’90s pop—“Barely Breathing” by Duncan Sheik, “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia—so I think those tunes inspired this one melodically, for sure. Besides that, it’s another sort of plainspoken, emotional plea. I do a lot of those.
