Freewheel! has the sort of sloppy charm that should have made it a prime candidate for release on the K label -- more so than on the band's later and slightly more pop-oriented releases, they tear through occasionally noisy rock, but always foreground the sing-song pop hooks. The result suggests
Beat Happening as a rock band, with a reckless sense of fun and humor tying together a string of consistently loveable songs. By 1997's
Ennui Go, the band had moved to a low-fi pop take on this sound -- but even if
Freewheel! is comparatively "unsophisticated," its indie charm is just as present, and its energy is a bit more palpable. ~ Nitsuh Abebe