There are many sides to the Rootsy Blues of Robert Jon & The Wreck and Friday March 10th saw the release of their latest offering on Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records – the rather rocking ‘One of a Kind’ EP. There may just be four tracks to whet your ‘between album appetite’, but they really are rather satisfyingly: like a rack of sticky ribs with all the sides.
Robert Jon & The Wreck have been mixing a wonderful cocktail of Southern Rock and California Americana since 2011 and the combination of Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar), and Warren Murrel (bass) have already produced some Word Class records including our very own album of the year in 2020 with ‘Last Light on the Highway’.
If you love those Southern Fried guitars with a side of slide and some burning organ then opener ‘Pain No More’ will get those feet moving and that head nodding. It’s just what the band does best – a great song with the minimum of fuss and a magical production by Don Was and Dave Cobb that really lets it shine.
‘Who Can You Love’ has that wonderfully evocative opening with lilting guitar that just takes you to another place before the vocals kick in honey smooth and we build to a countrified chorus that just drifts like The Eagles grew up a little further South. It’s a wonderful song that melds acoustic and electric guitars to produce a thing of wonder.
The title track and single ‘One Of A Kind’ is huge. Guitars turned up, great riff, driving drums and a foot sure vocal that shoots for the singalong chorus that would make the prefect set opener. All too soon though the EP closes, but it’s not just any closer: ‘Come At Me’ is a huge song that threatens to get the whole neighborhood grooving if you dare to open those windows! It’s the sort of song that you instantly know means that 12 years in, Robert Jon & The Wreck has only just hit their stride. Here’s to plenty more to come!
Vital!
9/10
The EP is available to stream or download HERE
Robert Jon & The Wreck website