ROBERT JON AND THE WRECK // ‘HEARTBREAKS AND LAST GOODBYES’ // ALBUM REVIEW

How this Californian band are managing to continuously tour and produce albums of this quality, I don’t know.  Heartbreaks follows on from the excellent Red Moon Rising and is even stronger than that. This time, they have switched producers. Dave Cobb is at the helm to keep things fresh. Robert Jon tells me that Kevin Shirley will be back in the hot seat when the time is right. Another thing that is different is how the album was recorded. Ten days were spent in the studio without distraction, no going home, just time for that lightning bolt to strike. That approach has worked so well, Robert can’t imagine recording in other way in the future.

Throughout each song has its own identity, the more you listen, the more you discover. Opener ‘Sittin’ Pretty is a powerhouse of a song that just happened in the studio. ‘Ashes In The Snow’ is retrospective and slower-paced. ‘Better Off Me’ has a tasty keyboard intro, and all members get the chance to shine. ‘Old Man’ is a song that many of us could connect with; it was written by Jake Abernathie and his girlfriend.

The legend that is John Oates co-wrote ‘Long Gone’; it has a funky feel and underwent many changes; Oates is delighted with it. ‘I Give It’ was written many years ago on a porch with friends; it was never expected to appear on a Wreck album. Robert Jon’s voice has a beautiful tone. What I am trying to say is Heartbreaks And Last Goodbyes is sprinkled with magic; it is an album that is pure from beginning to end.

Our vocalist says the title track is special; he is right. What a way to close a record. Guitarist Henry James Schneekluth plays with nuance and feel, then explodes in all the right places. Robert Jon And The Wreck (just in case you didn’t know) is a Southern Blues band based in Southern California, but they are so much more than that. Soul, Funk, Rock ‘n’ Roll and great lyrics embellish the sound, and you can’t want more than that. One further point, when these songs hit the stage, their magnitude will be even greater. I’d better mention Andrew Espantman (drums) and Warren Murrel (bass), who provide the bottom end to perfection.

The New Studio Album Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes arrives August 22nd courtesy of Journeyman Records.

US Album Pre-Order | UK Album Pre-Order

Review: Paul Mace

CD & Digital Track List

1. Sittin’ Pretty

2. Ashes In The Snow

3. Highway

4. Old Man

5. Dark Angel

6. Long Gone

7. Better Of Me

8. I Wanna Give It

9. Heartbreak & Last Goodbye

10. Keep Myself Clean

LP Track List

Side A

1. Sittin’ Pretty

2. Ashes In The Snow

3. Highway

4. Old Man

5. Dark Angel

Side B

1. Long Gone

2. Better Of Me

3. I Wanna Give It

4. Heartbreak & Last Goodbyes

5. Keep Myself Clean

About Journeyman Records

Journeyman, the newest endeavor between Joe Bonamassa and his long-time manager Roy Weisman, is a vertically integrated music management, concert promotion, and marketing company that builds awareness for great live artists worldwide. After years of perfecting strategies, while building Joe Bonamassa’s career, the company will utilize the same savvy tactics that allowed them to overcome industry barriers that typically held back artists from achieving success. Journeyman provides the infrastructure to take an artist from its infancy, to record music and tour without dealing with the typical resistance of “gatekeepers” who don’t believe in or support emerging acts. Bonamassa has been keen on using his experience to pay it forward to help other artists navigate the murky industry waters. Consequently, Journeyman sets itself apart in this way as being the true market maker for their artists.

ROBERT JON & THE WRECK
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