Green River Ordinance - Out of My Hands
Review by Katherine
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I first heard of these guys in the summer of 2009 when their song “On Your Own” was the send off song on season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance. After hearing it I immediately looked up the lyrics on Google and headed over to iTunes to download the song. I remember listening to the entire record and loving it but at the time I only downloaded the song I had already heard. This past November I was in for a pleasant surprise. I had tickets to see David Cook and The Script in concert over Thanksgiving break and when I got to the venue I saw a bunch of people handing out flyers for GRO. I got inside and saw their merchandise table and all their gear onstage and I was so excited to see them perform. As soon as the first song started playing I was completely in love with each and every song. They are amazing live and were really funny corresponding with a crowd that clearly wasn’t familiar with most of their music. I couldn’t wait to buy their record between sets and then I had the privilege of meeting Josh Jenkins and Joshua Wilkerson. I have to admit as soon as they took the stage I couldn’t take my eyes off of Wilkerson and if you ever have seen them I’m sure you know what I’m talking about and if you see them in the future you will get it as well. Unfortunately Geoff Ice wasn’t at the concert but they were still amazing.
Each of the songs on their record is brilliant. Every time I listen to it I have a new favorite. I highly recommend everyone at least give this record a listen because there is no possible way you will not like it. Here is a breakdown of each of the songs
Outside This song is a great way to start off the record. It is an upbeat fun song that instantly puts me in a good mood. There really isn’t anything bad that can be said about this track. It’s also a good driving song! )
Come On: Choosing this song as the lead single was a great idea. It is a sweet song with an upbeat tune. The video is also really cool. All the slow motion effects really add a different dynamic making it seem a little more rock. My favorite line from the song is “every song I sing, I sing in hopes you’re listening” something about that line is so sweet and I think every girl would love to have a guy say that to them. I have this dream of hearing this song on the piano :)
Out of My Hands: I absolutely love this song. This is one of the ones I am back and forth between being my favorite. The music, the lyrics, the vocals – everything about this song is brilliant. The guitar solo in the middle before the bridge is awesome as well as the bridge itself.
On Your Own: The song that got me hooked! So You Think You Can Dance usually has good send off songs and this one was no exception. When I downloaded the song I assumed they were a popular band I just hadn’t heard of. Needless to say I was shocked when I found out this was off their first record. The piano in this song gives me chills. I remember at the concert I was glad I could finally sing along to one of their songs because they put on such a good show I just wanted to be able to participate.
Goodbye L.A.: I could not get this track out of my head the second I heard it at the show. They really try to get the crowd into it since it is a little repetitive. I found myself singing along after the first chorus. I would say this is probably the catchiest song on the record. The entire way home I was singing this no matter what song was on the radio. The music throughout the entire track is so much fun and it just makes me feel like I’m driving down the road on a summer day. The little hook part where Wilkerson and G. Ice come in to sing the title line gets me every time, especially live.
Different (Anything At All): I can’t get enough of this song. It reminds me of the really good pop/rock music from the 90s. “I wish I could get back to that time, me and you Jackson road” :) This is another one that makes me think of a fun summer song – I’m starting to regret not having this record this summer!
Learning: I’m not saying this is my least favorite because it most definitely isn’t, for some reason I just find myself listening to this one the least. Every time I listen to it I fall in love with it a little more. “Let me be the one you run to for the rest of your life/give up everything to show you, to show you there’s still time/I could be the one you run to for the rest of your life/still learning how to love you/you are the only one that’s worth the fight” yeah needless to say these lines from the chorus will make a girl melt. It’s just a nice, chill track.
Last October: I love how the music slowly builds in this song. It is so beautiful. Again, I don’t know why but I find myself listening to this one, along with “Learning”, the least. I need to start listening to both more often because they are both amazing tracks.
Sleep It Off: I feel like I keep saying another one of my favorites but honestly all of these songs are ranked at #1 if you ask me. But if they had to be ranked in a specific order this one would be towards the top if not all the way at the top. I am constantly finding myself singing this chorus no matter where I am. I love the idea of sleeping on an idea and figuring it out the next morning and now there is a song dedicated to it! “Step outside you wanna be somebody…” these lines throughout the end of that section of the song are my favorite!
Getting Older: Such a great song. I don’t know if it is supposed to be inspirational or not but I found it to be. “It’s never what they told ya, I guess we’re getting older” is so true. The guitar throughout this entire song blows me away. I could listen to this song everyday and not get tired of it.
Endlessly: BEAUTIFUL. I would say that’s pretty much all I can say but this song is so amazing I can’t just stop there. The vocals are spot on, there is so much meaning in this song and it is completely conveyed through the vocals. The simplicity of the music spotlights the lyrics and the lead vocals of Josh Jenkins. I saw a YouTube video made for Twilight using this song and now I can think of all kinds of shows and movies I would like to see have videos made to songs from this band.
If you made it this far with me I have to say thank you for putting up with my slightly over-detailed review. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew how amazing the band was – not just their music. I hope these guys get more attention because they are one of the best bands out there right now. In the meantime head over to VH1 and vote for their video for “Come On” to be in the Top 20! They deserve to be number one.