There's an intimacy to the new FREE/MAN release, "The Reconnection EP," that borders on a welcome invasion of personal space. It is the sonic equivalent of someone leaning in, not to share a secret, but to create the silence where your own might finally surface. Charlie Freeman hasn't built a grand cathedral of sound here; he's simply furnished a quiet room with stark, necessary...

He boasts an individual approach, which is actually far from the conventional ones we mostly hear. Here, he raps in his native language, which is Italian. What makes us enjoy this song more is its flow and delivery. The production of "Fuggire da qui" is a terrific piece, and it needs to be heard. Just like the beat, his artistic sense and understanding merit recognition. Ricky...