When Rivers Meet: Addicted To You Review

The Two Ronnies. Jam and clotted cream. The Chuckle Brothers. Acclaimed British duos have been a staple of our country since World War II, and in When Rivers Meet, we have a husband-and-wife team who continue to carve out their signature blues-rock sound, while still daring to swim against the tide. 

Let’s get away from the pratfalls of “To Me, To You!” (you’re welcome Chucklevision fans) and instead feast our yearning eyes on Addicted To You — the fourth studio album from Grace and Aaron Bond. Eleven cuts of sonic cull, cinematic swagger, lush harmonies, and authentically raw songwriting, many soldered with a harder edge and experimental yet expansive musical current.

The title track and groove-happy lead single “Addicted To You” gets things shifting with its heavy bass and big rock vibe. There’s a grungy, obsessive undertone to the electric, naughtily-tight structure, with both Bond voices and the music meshing together magnificently. 

“Break Free” brings bold and fearless anthemic rock energy, with Aaron’s rich gravelly, yet growly voice more than holding its own, Grace respectfully and rather impressively takes a small step back to present some violin mastery. Previous records such as Aces Are High (2023) have only given us snippets of Aaron’s vocal talents, so it’s magical to hear them at full pelt on this song and much of the record.

There’s a defiant mood to “Still Standing” with a chorus fit for packed mud-trodden festivals and swampy fields. “Coming Up For Air” from the dirty blues quag is the medicine dreams are made of. Evocative and airy with graceful piano and their contrasting voices flocking in heartbreaking union, it’s the essence of what makes When Rivers Meet a free-flowing force of nature. 

“Never Change” is sculpted from the old R & B mold, with its polished production and Black Keys locksmithery. Ignore the clean rootsy soulful rhythm for a second, and it sends out a stark reminder to stick to your guns in the face of those who demand you conform, before writing you off when you struggle.

More Impassioned pleas are the order of the day on the sermonistic “Preacher”, before the pair branch out into the warm and intimate gospel of “Tree Of Life.” After firing back at industry negativity on “Soft White Sand” and punching to the heavens on the soaring folk-rock tale of “Don’t Wanna Fight”, they end by penning a self-titled love letter to their fans (affectionately known as The Rapids). 

Like the shared journey they’ve been on, “When Rivers Meet” feels like a beautiful uprising with an ‘us against them’ mentality as the music flicks between stripped-back calm to something so raucous you just want to jump aboard. Join the dots alongside the duo’s hypnotic chemistry and harmonies that have exhausted every superlative bar none, and you’ve got a double act on course to go a very long way.

If you weren’t addicted to When Rivers Meet before, you most definitely will be after this. 

The Review: 8.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Addicted To You
– Coming Up For Air
– Never Change
– When Rivers Meet

The Big Hit

– When Rivers Meet