FARTHEST Thing From A Slump...
Posted September 06, 2010
By SarahFine_NRT, Staff Reviewer
Addison Road splashed onto the music scene back in 2008 with the debut of their self titled first album, producing hits like ’All That Matters’ and ‘Hope Now’. The band garnered a wide fan base by their touring on the first ever Rock and Worship Roadshow tour last Spring, as well as their now infamous iTunes podcasts (which, by the way, if you‘ve never seen one, I suggest you do yourself the favor…)
In the two years since their debut on INO Records, the band has seen it’s fair share of up’s and downs, including the departure of longtime drummer, Jeff Sutton. The most noteworthy feat the band overcame though, was a devastating van fire last year that not only destroyed all of their merchandise and equipment, but also most of the personal belongings of band members, Jenny and Ryan Simmons and their newborn daughter. It’s the things like this that can easily make the average band want to pack it up and quit…but Addison Road isn’t your average band. They overcame the hurtles that came along with the fire and have since gone into the studio to produce their sophomore release, ‘Stories’.
You might think that will all that they’ve gone through, that ‘Stories’ might have a darker feel than their melodic pop driven first album, but it just isn’t so, quite the contrary actually. This is by far one of the most positive albums I have heard in a long time. It kicks off with the first single, ‘Fight Another Day’ (co-written by none other than tobyMac), from there you enter into ‘Change In The Making’, which is one of the strongest tracks on the album, vocally and lyrically. ‘This Little Light Of Mine’ is a matured vision of the beloved children’s hymn, that beautifully displays this band lyrical depth.
Musically, this album is pretty diverse compared to their first album. Songs like ‘Need You Now’ and ‘Show Me Life’ stay on the slower more worshipful side, while the band sticks to their down to earth roots with upbeat tracks like ‘Won’t Let Me Go’ and the namesake of the album, ‘My Story’. Highlights on this album include the dance club-esq ‘Don’t Wait’ (about, funny enough, the death of a friend), and my favorite song on the whole album, ‘Where It All Begins’, covering the topic of what it means to be a light in a dark world (“I wanna love when it’s costly, be quick to forgive, run to the One who calls me to live…”).
‘Stories’ is the FARTHEST thing from a slump for this talented group of musicians. If anything, the trails this band faced over the past year made them stronger, it shows in their musicianship and in their cutting (and oftentimes, quirky) lyrics. My one and only flaw with this album? It is too short! And you will defiantly be left wanting to hear more, but in a way? It is also a good thing, because it makes me wonder what their next album is going to hold for the listener…
This is going to go down as one of my favorite new albums in the year, and it is already one that I find myself listening to on days when I need the reminder that we serve a God who is always faithful to His promises, even when things around us are chaotic. I dare you to try and walk away from this one without a smile on your face. :) View All Music And Book Reviews By SarahFine_NRT | View SarahFine_NRT's Profile
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