by Brandon Enyeart
About five years ago I was told by a friend to listen to a band that went by the name of Automatic Loveletter. Lemonade Magazine was only a couple months old and I was looking for anything and everything to review. I remember heading over to MySpace (yes that’s right, MySpace) to listen and immediately I was hooked. I sent an email to their publicist and had no idea whether I would hear back or not. Sure enough, I heard back and for those of you who have been with us from the start, you’ll know that the rest is history. Juliet Simms pretty much kick started Lemonade Magazine.
With all that said, it doesn’t take any complex mathematics to figure out that Ms. Simms is pretty popular with us, so these past five years have been a bit tough on us with barely any new music from her. Thankfully though, that has come to an end as the Automatic Loveletter front girl who now just goes by her birth name has released a brand new EP, All or Nothing.
If you have heard Simms before, you know that her voice is unmistakable. Her signature rasp got her into the final week of Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice and it’s quite possibly the most unique sound from a female artist out there right now.
All or Nothing feels like a celebration from Simms. Not all the subject matter might seem all that celebratory, but after seeing her select much of her music on The Voice from a power pop library, it feels as though she’s finally doing exactly what she wants to do. Now don’t get me wrong, there are still echoes of Automatic Loveletter ringing through this EP, but All or Nothing definitely has more of a pop vibe.
Although we may never know for sure, one could guess that the title track might just have a little to do with her time on the aforementioned talent show, The Voice and don’t get me wrong, we are huge fans of the show here, but although she absolutely killed it from week to week and arguably should have won the whole thing, I never got the feeling that the show really fit her personality. After her single, “Wild Child” debuted after the show ended, my feelings were only confirmed. At least in my mind. The title track definitely hints at that and serves as a “now that I got that off my chest…” moment for the rest of the EP.
Throughout the rest of All or Nothing, you can almost hear Simms breathing easier again, as if the weight has been lifted. Stand out tracks are the first single off the EP, “End of the World” and “Evangeline”, but none of the tunes disappoint.
Automatic Loveletter’s, Truth or Dare will always hold a special place in my heart. As I said before, I feel as though Automatic Loveletter and that album really was the beginning of Lemonade and it’s unlikely that those feelings will be matched. However, with that said, we all grow and change is an inevitable part of that growth. With All or Nothing, Simms has proven she can grow and do so in a graceful manner. Nothing, but love for this venture.
