Joe Rian

Friday, 22 February 2008

"The boys from Illinois just released their five-song EP Back In Bridgeport. As Country albums go, this one isn't bad. It's good enough to warrant praise from Luna Music and popular radio stations in Belgium, apparently. Nothing wrong with being huge in Belgium. Belgium is nice. They might know something over there that we don't. This EP has given us a chance to get a real feel for a relatively unknown band hoping to prove that they"ve got the chops to stay in the game. They make their point, at any rate. Long for an EP, but waaaay too short for a real sense of purpose, Back In Bridgeport is eventually effective in it?s struggle to announce, as well as define, The Additives as an act we should seriously be paying attention to. Set this scenario in Ireland and we?ve got a spot of Flogging Molly meets elements of The Pogues, surprisingly enough. Give Joe Ryan a top hat and he's channeling Tom Petty. "Stare Out Old Man", "Baby We Can Work It Out" and "2 Sides Of The Mattress" are the highlights on Bridgeport, evoking great storytelling skills from our man Joe. Giving the tunes on this disc a spin feels like lounging on freshly cut grass. And that ain't bad either. Feels nice.

Kenya Jones , ACED MAGAZINE 3/5 Stars

http://acedmagazine.com/content/view/963/31/ - ACED MAGAZINE

March 2008 (Translated from Dutch)

As I said, EP week, there's still alone. Again only five songs on this "Back In Bridgeport. The Additives are a viermans fomatie from Illinois, Chicago. Better said, three men and a woman, because accordion, piano and backing vocals, we Sheila Bertolletti. The use of accordion that gives it a separate what folky touch, but their music contain as bluesy and indie rock influences, the latter to you in all directions. And with only five songs, the CD contains songs twice as much, then the diversity would certainly probably been twice as large. Songwriter and lead singer Joe Ryan rake wording and painter with a large dose opmerkingszin everyday life around him as in "Annamosity" or the story of a relationship spotikal "Baby, We Can Work It Out" and "2 Sides Of The Mattress (I 'm Moving Out). Best song is "Stare Out Old Man", a grunge blues song on the transience of life, while "Annamosity" more radiokwaliteiten and hitpotentieel. Too short to bring you a real picture of their qualities, so will be the first full CD should tell whether this is a promising new, original sounding band to do, as this seems to indicate debut.
(RON) - RootsTime.Be - Rootstime, Belgium

Back to Bridgeport is a delightful new 5 track EP, which has recently been released by Illinois outfit, The Additives. From the grungy blues of �Stare Out Old Man� to the funky folk of �Two Sides of the Mattress�, this CD is a really tasty slice of Chicago Pie. Joe Ryan�s distinctive voice and imaginative lyrics give a respectful nod to the musical traditions of the Windy City and its environs, whilst the simple production conveys the feel of a heaving bar room. Admittedly, the use of harmonica and accordion induce droplets of nostalgia, but this CD is firmly set in 2008.�Back to Bridgeport� is a really pleasurable listen and I�ll definitely be playing tracks from it, over the coming weeks, during the �On The Verge� Radio Show.

Brendan Hickey
Producer / Presenter �On The Verge�
Thursdays 8 � 9PM
Dublin South (93.9) FM - On The Verge Radio 93.9 - Dublin, Ireland

Three veterans of Chicago's underground and a young turk fresh out of music school, The Additives play an original and utterly refreshing hybrid of indie, folk, and subterranean Bridgeport blues. I'll save you the comparisons and cut to the chase: This is pure pop genius. Drawing on the everyday, from relationships gone wrong to more introspective numbers about family and friends to the "Champagne of Beers�, Joe paints a distinctively modern and poignant picture of life around him, while avoiding all the usual cliche's. So save the gimmicks for the kids�this is the real deal people: great tunes, smart lyrics, and timeless hooks will leave you singing their praises (quite literally) for days. -ANDY SEAGRAM - Andrew Seagram

Economically recorded in the spare room of an apartment, the five-song EP from the recently completed Chicago alt-country quartet focuses on bouncy beats and foghorn-bass vocals creating characters from simple situations, throwing in the occasional accordion (performed by a classically trained pianist) for good measure. Remarkably kinetic, the songs beg to be listened to all the way through; there is scarcely a wasted measure on the short but satisfying disc. Mastered by Studio Chicago and with professional packaging, the disc comes off as artistically lo-fi. Check out theadditives.com for a listen, as well as a video for the opening track of the album. — Ryan Cunningham, Recoil Magazine - Recoil Magazine