Six months ago I profiled the Texas based band Green River Ordinance (GRO) for BC Magazine's Band of the Week series. At the time of that interview, they had not long-past released their debut full length album The Beauty Of Letting Go, an album which is sincere, and dynamic, sumptuously layered with rich, warm melodies, harmonies, and rhythms.
GRO have the kind of talent that will inspire you to stand back a little, shake your head, and mutter in awe, “Fuck me, they’re fabulous!” Their music contains big stadium sounds like U2, Matchbox Twenty, or Snowpatrol, but with just enough Texas colour to make them stand out from the pack. GRO’s always honest, emotionally warm lyrics, strong drum driven, guitar rich songs sung by frontman Josh Jenkins’ country-boy-singing-rock vocals, all make for fun, inspiring music that is easy to listen and sing along to.
GRO’s newest release, the five track EP Way Back Home is the perfect follow-up – although it may be slightly too short for die hard fans – to their debut album. Way Back Home’s five songs are rich in the country-steeped rock tunes that GRO are so very good at, with strong guitar riffs and hooks, Josh’s easygoing, warm, textured vocals and sincere lyrics — basically more of what makes GRO so fucking fabulous.
Now, how to pick stand-out tracks from a band that puts out mostly superior music? I can only choose my own favourites “Come On” and “Beauty Of Letting Go” – no not a remake from the album but inspired by the title. “Come On” is the kind of apologetic love song that every girl wants sung to her. Loneliness, heartfelt longing and regret are all euphonious expressed in the lyrics: “I just want to be the hand you hold when you’re cryin’/ I just want to be the voice that tells you it will be alright…” You can give “Come On” a listen here. You can also listen to GRO’s fantastically funny country-boy rap edit of “Come On”.
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