It might surprise you to know that there are more girl-fronted Christian bands than just Superchic[k]. One promising band is the indie-powerhouse Addison Road.
Formed as a hobby among college buddies, Addison Road has emerged from the local scene to the national stage with a discography of two eclectic albums, led by the edgy vocals of Jenny Simmons. Though it's seven months old, Addison Road's latest project, Breaking Beautifully, is probably something you haven't heard.
The first thing any listener will notice is that it's hard to pin a style onto Addison Road. Simmons' lead vocals have a chameleon-like quality to them. Overall, one could hear an amalgamation of Natalie Merchant, The Benjamin Gate's Adrienne Liesching, Avril Lavigne, and Alanis Morissette. Sometimes this diversity works; other times, it does not work.
The sophomore album, produced by former Audio Adrenaline guitarist Barry Blair, is a true sequel to the first CD, Not What You Think. Addison Road has established itself as a band of three styles; listeners hear tastes of alternative, power ballads, and good old rock 'n' roll, with consistently spiritual themes. Fans of the first album will find more of the same on Breaking Beautifully.
Addison Road is at its best when they're rocking out. The edginess in Jenny Simmons' voice on songs like the opener "All I Need is You" and "Can't Get Over It" fills a void in the alternative genre that hasn't been replaced since the demise of The Benjamin Gate.
The WB could use the power ballads "Hold On, Let God" and "Walk-Away" for their teen dramas. Simmons transforms her voice from rock impresario to an Alanis sound, only much, much better.
Some songs were just okay to me, or as Randy Jackson would say, "Aiiight." In these "okay" songs, there is an uncomfortable tension between Simmons' piercing voice and the background instruments. "Escape", drags in tempo and doesn't really showcase Simmons effectively. The background guitars are actually quite cool; it's just a bad fit for the lead vocals. The same holds true for "Peace", a track that has incredible lyrics that get lost in the uncomfortable music.
"Good-Bye" has a catchy, rock hook, but the verses are awkward, rhythmically, with a lot of lyric repetition (the phrase "say goodbye" is repeated over 30 times).
All's well that ends well, though, as Addison Road finishes Breaking Beautifully with a charming praise song ("Before") that could be adapted for church use. The psalm-like prose of this track makes it an appealing closer.
Breaking Beautifully, like many sophomore albums, should be a time for artists to define themselves. Here's hoping that Addison Road finds their niche in the alternative rock genre, because they do it so well.
P.S. There is a hidden instrumental tune at 5:21 on the final track. It's nearly four minutes long, and is one of the most refreshing songs on the album.
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Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Andrew West GriffinAddison Road, a Texas-based Christian pop-rock band has a good musical future ahead given the right opportunity. But we all know how fickle the Christian music industry can be and CCM in general has taken a bit of dive in terms of quality. But Addison Road is an exception. Just listen to Breaking Beautifully, their latest album, produced by Audio Adrenaline's Barry Blair. Lead singer Jenny…Similar sounding releases
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