Review Summary: Addiction in Recovery creates a clever blend of genre's that is cliche at worst and downright fun at best.
Dallas based trio Page 9 had humble beginnings. Hailing from the small Dallas suburb of Sachse, Texas, things began early for them. Starting with singing in the Sachse High School choir and playing in the marching band, they quickly moved up to something a lot more creative and much more special. The local support that Page 9 receives is staggering as well as deserved. Not just because they are some of the coolest and funniest people you'll meet, but because their talent is no joke.
The first thing you need to know is that this album is catchy, I mean REALLY catchy! Page 9 artfully crafts power pop and alternative rock together to create something that is not only fun to listen to but features some great musicianship from its members. First of all, front man Josh Martinez has a voice that is likable and clean. He has a great amount of vocal skill that is enjoyable to hear throughout the album. The lyrics will definitely have you singing along although, for the most part, they are poorly written. Add some addictive guitar/pop beat blends, great drumming, and a lot of heart and you have an impressive, well executed album.
While it is a pretty solid first release, Addiction in Recovery does have its flaws. The lyrics are best comparable to Chad Kroeger's (groan) best work which, unfortunately, isn't saying much. All of the songs are about "not knowing the real me" and heart break, etc... Cliche is a nice term for how stagnant the writing is. While the musicianship is great and it has its (few) memorable parts, all the tracks seem to blend together without really creating a defining sound for each one. The album as a whole is a tad bit overproduced, seeming to go for that "glossy" sound. Some people may find that appealing, I don't. Things like this are forgivable knowing this is their first release and all bands need room to grow from their first release. And, while they have a great sound, there is a lot of growth still needed.
Overall, the band and its music are worth listening to and following because they have a great amount of potential to create something truly unique. They just need to tighten some things up, create a little bit of diversity between songs, and maybe take a few writing classes then we may see a truly great album from Page 9.
