Free Nationals is the debut album by American R&B band Free Nationals. It was released on December 13, 2019, through OBE and Empire Distribution.^[1] The album features guest appearances from Mac Miller, Kali Uchis, Daniel Caesar, Anderson .Paak, T.I., JID, and MIKNNA among others. It was nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.^[2]

Free Nationals has been described as classic R&B, funk and soul with a modern twist, nodding to legends like Stevie Wonder and Parliament-Funkadelic.^[3]

The album was produced by the four Free Nationals band members. The songs were run through a tape recorder to add analogue distortion and warmth, adding to the retro feel of the album.^[4] It was mixed by Callum Connor and Andrew Wuepper at The Crying Panther Studio, Los Angeles and mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, New York City.^[5][6]

The album's retro airbrush style artwork was created by Lexington based artist and musician Robert Beatty.^[18]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.0/10
Metacritic	74/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
Exclaim[19]	8/10
Q Magazine	8/10
Mojo	8/10
The Line of Best Fit[20]	7/10
Pitchfork[21]	6.4/10
NME[22]
The Observer (UK)[23]
Evening Standard[24]

Close

Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 74 out of 100 based on 7 critic's reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[25] Q Magazine stated "Free Nationals say less about the band's identity than it does their taste, skill and curatorial clout--but that's still more than plenty". Mojo said "Free Nationals' blissed-out, woozy slow-jams make for a low-key triumph". NME also reviewed the album, stating "The Free Nationals' supreme musicianship is unquestionable, but they more often than not seem to require an outside presence leading from the front to really bring it all home".^[26]

Adapted from the album's liner notes and online sources.^[28]