the addies - the addies

The Addies

The Addies
self-released; 2013

4.0 out of 5

By Demiera Harris

I became an unintended fan of dirty blues rock after hearing a band perform it live, having been impressed with the artful use of instruments and sheer musicality that was exhibited. Hearing the self titled effort by The Addies proved to be a similar ethereal experience, one that captured my ear from the very first note and kept me bobbing my head all the way until the silence at the end.

“Right On Time” required a restart to fully process the odd time signature of the attention capturing yells of the title, but it was worth the effort. This tune features catchy lyrics and meaty guitar work, with vibrant vocals. A electric-laced guitar solo offers a brief break in the energy, picking back up with an equally catchy bridge.

“Take You Home” has blues written all over it, with all of the pizzazz of rock and the accessible lyrics of pop. The chorus opens like a nutshell, with various instrumental effects making an appearance to flesh out the already strong sound. A strong bass line gets the spotlight later in the song and is the perfect complement to all the ingredients already in the mix.

The alternating guitar chords in “She’s Not There” are deep and entrancing, and the vocals here are edgier than before. The sting of anger is deeply apparent here and comes out in aggressively played music. In contrast, “Feeling Down” is much more laid back and, in a weird way, more sensual than the other songs. Like the other songs, this features a guitar solo, though this time the guitarist is really making a name for himself with this particular part; you can hear his passion through the strings.

“Trouble Bound” has a brief moment of feedback that kicks into a positively infectious rhythm. By now, the confidence of each musician in the band has shown loud and clear, and you are even more enthralled with their talent than you were from the first song. A harmonica coos in the background, introducing the most air-guitar worthy solo yet. The song ends decisively and you are thrust back into reality.

The Addies’ bandcamp page sports a photo of the band with the caption “Indisputable champions of grabbing your attention right now”, a completely true statement in any regard. With tremendous musicianship, the confidence to do what they do well, and the sense of having fun, The Addies really have a winning sound, and are definitely worth a listen.

Become A Fan

twitter