With two indie albums and an EP to its
credit, Addison Road entered the studio with Chris Stevens (tobyMac, Sanctus
Real, Mandisa) for its latest offering.
The female-fronted band conjures a
defining, driving sound from the very first downbeat. Most of the 10 tracks are
upbeat anthems of exhortation and encouragement. Lyrics are simple and direct,
which is fine for concert sing-a-longs, but those looking to dig into more heady
territory might be bored.
Too
often Addison Road falls back on well-traveled metaphors and overused
Christianese like “You are my shelter
from the storm” and “Your love
has set me free,” which fumble otherwise likable tracks. The infectious
“Sticking With You” features a whimsical background chorus of "Ohs"
that gives the raw rock tune a West Coast, Beach Boys/Shins gloss. The raucous
"It Just Takes One" is a call to action, one of many on this disc,
which urges listeners to live out their faith to impact the world.
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It’s not until a little further down
the track list that the listener gets a break from the aggressive, staccato
rhythms that the band is so fond of. Sonically speaking, the electric guitar
and the drums often sound as if they are battling for the spotlight, rather
than harmoniously sharing the stage. The result resembles a shouting match of
instruments.
But songs like “Hope Now,” “Start Over
Again” and “Run” redeem Addison Road. These tunes begin
languidly and build into sweet, sweeping finishes. Here the production is deftly
wrapped around her voice, allowing her beautiful, plaintive falsetto to shimmer
and her low end to resonate. If the other tracks had followed suit, Addison
Road may have hit its stride.
- Lizza Connor