''Let Yourself Free'' is the fifth studio album by American band Fitz and the Tantrums. It was released on November 11, 2022, by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

. A deluxe edition of the album with six extra songs was released on June 23, 2023. It is their first album in three years since 2019's '' All the Feels'' (2019).

Background

Lead vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick explained he and the band wanted to be "more judicious" with the writing process by writing only "two or three ongsa week and really think about it and sit with them." Fifty songs were written in consideration for the record, which were eventually narrowed down to the twelve songs that appear on the final album. The band intended for the album to nod back to their early influences, with songs like "Silver Platter" and "Steppin' on Me" recalling their debut album '' Pickin' Up the Pieces'' (2010).

Singles

The album was supported by two singles. The lead single, "Sway", was released on August 4, 2023 with a music video released the same day. The second single, "Moneymaker", was released on September 27, 2022, simultaneously with the announcement of ''Let Yourself Free''.

Critical reception

Writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Matt Collar rated ''Let Yourself Free'' four out of five stars, noting that it "hold on to all of that mainstream pop savvy while still managing to throw things back to he band'shumble D.I.Y. R&B beginnings."

Track listing

Personnel

Fitz and the Tantrums *

Fitz Fitz (pronounced "fits") was a patronymic indicator used in Anglo-Norman England to help distinguish individuals by identifying their immediate predecessors. Meaning "son of", it would precede the father's forename, or less commonly a title held ...

– vocals *

Noelle Scaggs Noelle Scaggs (born October 8, 1979) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, known as the co-lead singer of the pop group Fitz and the Tantrums. Scaggs has also had numerous collaborations with the Black Eyed Peas, Dilate ...

– vocals,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...

* James King –

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone (sometimes abbreviated to "bari sax") is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass saxophone, bass. It is the lowe ...

, background vocals * Jeremy Ruzumna – keyboards, background vocals * Joseph Karnes – bass, background vocals * John Wicks – drums, background vocals Additional contributors * Emerson Mancini – mastering * Adam Hawkins – mixing * Reddah Haddioul –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

(tracks 1–7, 9–18) * Brian Well – engineering (track 8) *

Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the albums ''The VS. EP'' (2009), '' The Heist'' (2012), and ...

– engineering (track 8) * Henry Lunetta – mixing assistance * Collin Kadlec – engineering assistance (track 8) * Aaron Glas – session coordination (all tracks);

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common Soprano clarinet, soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays no ...

(track 8) * Jerry Fitzgerald – backline technician *

Ron Blake Ron Blake (born September 7, 1965) is an American saxophonist, band leader, composer, and music educator. Born in the Virgin Islands, he attended Northwestern University, and now lives in New York City. Blake began studying guitar at age 8 and ...

– trumpet,

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet, but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B♭, though ...

(tracks 1, 3, 4, 6) * Francisco Torres – trombone,

bass trombone The bass trombone (, ) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to facilitate low register playing, and u ...

(tracks 1, 3, 4, 6) * Mark Robert Obriski – art direction, design * Jimmy Fontaine – cover photograph * Lindsey Byrnes – outside tray band photography * Anna Lee – collage photography

Notes

References

{{Fitz and the Tantrums 2022 albums Fitz and the Tantrums albums Elektra Records albums