The Freebies - The Freebies (2026)

What better way to return from a summer break than with the debut LP from a band that knows how to keep the summer vibes going? Remember The Freebies, who dropped a little single a couple of months ago? Well, their self-titled debut contains those two songs, Hard on U and Kiss Me, which are far from the only hits on this record, plus seven more. Two of those are bare-bones demos that feel like outliers, but worthwhile ones.

I described this LA band back then as twee garage pop and as having “a trace of time spent lurking around the local punk scene while digging through stacks of ’60s girl group 45s.” Now that I’ve heard a bigger sample size, I stand by that description. The Freebies are the kind of band that could charm punk kids into falling for scrappy underground pop if they haven’t already.

For a new band and as uncomplicated and sun-soaked as these songs sound, the biggest surprise is probably just how many instant hits are hidden in plain sight here. If you’re feeling nostalgic for carefree summer holidays, The Freebies is a pretty great way to bottle that feeling and play it back.