Austin-Superstar and Black Pumas co-founder Adrian Quesada, studio art alumnus, released a new soundtrack album on Jan. 31, which seamlessly fuses different genres and sounds from just before the turn of the century into a cohesive body of work that reflects the era the album was inspired by. The creative team behind the album and its accompanying film have raised millions for the unhoused community in Austin, showing that the soundtrack and more broadly its film, represent a mission to use art as a catalyst for positive change.
“Home Free,” which is the soundtrack to a film of the same name, is inspired by the experiences of two UT sophomores who let a philosophy professor crash on their front porch in the ‘90s. A social impact movie disguised as a coming-of-age film humanizes houseless people and stands to counter the narrative that typically surrounds the media coverage of the unhoused. The film’s projected release is in early 2025.
Standout tracks include “Am I Allowed,” a contagiously groovy song that begs listeners to get up and dance, and “The Descent” which features a funky bassline that has a similar effect. Shrouded in a blend of electronic and live-instrumentation style production, Quesada’s “Home Free” sounds like something you’d hear a garage band play in a bygone era when teens took their rebellious nature.
Quesada, who is nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the soundtrack to the 2024 film “Sing Sing,” shares a similar background to the film’s protagonists as he also attended the University in the late ‘90s. Their common experiences and time shared in the city serve as the basis for the album which celebrates and almost replicates the angst and passion of the music from the decade.
Many film soundtracks feature a lengthy runtime, and “Home Free” is no exception, but Quesada’s masterful storytelling prowess and beautiful production techniques help the album’s 73-minute runtime breeze by. Incorporating guest features including members of The Beastie Boys, J Mascis (a guitarist who Spin Magazine cited as one of the greatest of all time) and Luscious Jackson (a band formed in the ‘90s whose music perfectly pairs with the vibe of the soundtrack) helps to broaden the range of the album’s genres including rock, funk and alternative in addition to the ever-present mix of jazz and hip hop sounds that also dominated the decade.
“Today,” the solemn and nostalgic cover track that concludes the album, also stands as a highlight from the album’s overall upbeat, groovy feel. The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan’s lyrics perfectly encapsulate the angst and suffocation that comes with the era of life many college students find themselves in. The album, much like the decade it represents, ends with the depressing lyrics: “Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known, can’t wait for tomorrow, might not have that long.”
5 Bittersweet Goodbyes out of 5
