Texas seems to be a hotbed of great new music these days. It's home to young and energetic bands like Tyler's Eisley and San Antonio's Circleslide. It's a state that can also claim the very cool, and relatively new rock quintet Addison Road.
I had enjoyed their debut Breaking Beautifully back in 2004 and found them to be quite promising. Lead singer Jenny Simmons, along with her guitarist husband Ryan Simmons had found an artsy, Christian rock niche that is far more popular than it was this time five years ago.
Instead of releasing a full-length album, Addison Road (which also includes lead guitarist Ryan Gregg, bassist Travis Lawrence and new drummer Jeff Sutton) opted to release a six-song EP called Always Loved You.
The band doesn't break any real new ground here. There's some bittersweet rock and pop and a solid praise-and-worship tune called "Rejoice" that ends with some swirling guitars that is unlike the stylings of most praise-and-worship guitarists.
Jenny Simmons earnestly pleads: "Show me your ways, O Lord / Show me your ways and make me new again in deliverance to everything, everything." "Wait," while rockin', is pretty weak in the lyrics department and relies far too much on Jenny Simmons repeating "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." I'm not really sure why. But then Addison Road snaps out of it and gets a little more adult with "Where Are You." Wrapping up the EP is "Need You Now," which is a nice, albeit forgettable song.
Always Loved You should be considered a transitional recording bridging Breaking Beautifully for whatever the Road-sters have up their sleeves next go 'round.
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Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Zach DelphServing as the follow-up to Addison Road's sophomore project, Always Loved You :: EP sets the stage for this young band to explode to new heights. Featuring six fairly upbeat tracks, Addison Road has certainly expanded its influences and matured its songwriting. Once compared to Avril Lavigne in the past, the band fronted by Jenny Simmons has shed most of its former self and picked up on more of…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Kevin MathewsHighly reminiscent of Sixpence None the Richer, Addison Road is a delightfully forceful, adroitly spiritual quintet fronted by the talented Jenny Simmons on lead vocals. Ryan Gregg, the main songwriter and guitarist is adept at carving personal lyrics to God that are confessional and worshipful at the same time. The highlight is the opening Always Loved You, which summarizes what every Christian…Similar sounding releases
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