By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night
Album Review: Robert Jon & the Wreck’s Last Light on the Highway—Release date May 8, 2020
Listening to Robert Jon & the Wreck’s Last Light on the Highway, I immediately thought of the new wave of Southern Rockers that write music as if they were born and bred in Birmingham, Alabama or Jacksonville, Florida. Well, Robert Jon & the Wreck actually hail from Orange County, California, the land of Valley Girls, and not the Deep South–but you would never know it!
Listening to songs like “Can’t Stand It” and “Do You Remember”, one can hear influences of Lynyrd Skynrd and Allman Brothers, with characteristic slide guitars, dual guitar solos, and great vocal harmonies. What really stands out with the music is the full sound of the band, complete with piano, guitars, horns, and female background singers. Think Tedeschi and Trucks or perhaps the classic 1970s setup for Southern Rock bands.
The romantic song “Work It Out” actually has a 50s or 60s R&B feel with a sweet touch sax. The album is full of soulful ballads and the theme of relationships plays prominently in the lyrical subject matter. “Gold” is a totally woeful “break-up” song as Robert Jon laments “we could have been good!” More upbeat and hopeful relationship songs are “This Time Around”, which has a groovin’ blues-rock feel, and “One Last Time”, with its cool electric piano riff and heavy full-blown rockin’ outro.
“Don’t Let Me Go” proves the band can play straight up rock ‘n’ roll as the song takes on a grungy feel before pausing dramatically for a couple seconds, and burgeoning full-force into a choral extravaganza.
The last two songs on the album are “Last Light on the Highway Pt. 1 and Pt. 2,” which have a concept threaded through both songs, almost appearing as movements in one cohesive piece. The songs move between acoustic guitar arpeggios and a pretty vocal melody to very heavy guitar riffs, later slowing down into an Allman Brothers or Tedeschi & Trucks jam song style, before blasting into a turbo-charged chorus.
Fans of classic 70s rock and Southern Rock definitely need to put this into their collection. They will listen and wonder how guys assumedly born in the 1970s were able to channel the likes of Greg Allman or Ronnie Van Zant. Great stuff!
Europe will have the chance to see the band in the Fall. Check out the tour schedule below:
ROBERT JON & THE WRECK 2020 TOUR DATES
Tickets: robertjonandthewreck.com
09/05/2020 Herent, Belgium @ Wild in ‘t Park Festival
10/05/2020 Köln, Germany @ Yard Club
12/05/2020 Paris, France @ Café de la Danse (Support to Walter Trout Band)
13/05/2020 Beaumont-En-Véron, France @ Le Temps Des Crises
15/05/2020 Barcelona, Spain @ Rocksound
16/05/2020 Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain @ Teatre Juan Ramón Jiménez w/Red Beard
17/05/2020 Lanzarote, Spain @ Bodega Vega de Yuco – Testeyna – Sonidos Liquidos Festival
20/05/2020 Estepona, Spain @ Louie Louie w/The Electric Alley
21/05/2020 Valencia, Spain @ Loco Club
22/05/2020 Zaragoza, Spain @ Las Armas
23/05/2020 Madrid, Spain @ El Sol
24/05/2020 Valladolid, Spain @ Porta Caeli
26/05/2020 Vitoria, Spain @ Urban Rock Concept
27/05/2020 Ourense, Spain @ Café Cultural Auriense
28/05/2020 Cangas, Spain @ Salason
29/05/2020 A Coruña, Spain @ Sala Mardi Gras
30/05/2020 Avilés, Spain @ Centro Niemeyer
31/05/2020 Ponferrada, Spain @ El King Kong (lunch show)
31/05/2020 León, Spain @ Babylon (evening show)
01/06/2020 Bilbao, Spain @ Antzokia
02/06/2020 Orléans, France @ Dropkick Bar
03/06/2020 Feurs, France @ Le Chateau Des Roziers
04/06/2020 Paris, France @ Les Etoiles
05/06/2020 Ensisheim, France @ Wood Stock Guitares
06/06/2020 Scherzingen, Switzerland @ Bäckerstübli
07/06/2020 Haiming, Germany @ Gewölbe Bluesclub
08/06/2020 Salzburg, Austria @ Rock House
10/06/2020 Rimsting, Germany @ Blues Club Chiemgau
11/06/2020 Dortmund, Germany @ Piano
12/06/2020 Gent, Belgium @ Crossover
13/06/2020 Isernhagen, Germany @ Blues Garage
16/06/2020 Verviers, Belgium @ Spirit Of 66
17/06/2020 Bremen, Germany @ Meisenfrei
18/06/2020 Menen, Belgium @ CC De Steiger
19/06/2020 Krefeld, Germany @ Kulturrampe
20/06/2020 Luckenwalde, Germany @ Werner-Seelenbinder-Stadion – Open Air
21/06/2020 Zwickau (Lichtentanne), Germany @ St Barbara
24/06/2020 Viechtach, Germany @ Altes Spital – Open Air
25/06/2020 Schwabisch Gmund, Germany @ KKF
26/06/2020 Alkmaar, Netherlands @ Victorie
27/06/2020 Hengelo, Netherlands @ Metropool
28/06/2020 Groesbeek, Netherlands @ Blues Moose
29/06/2020 Frankfurt, Germany @ Nachtleben
30/06/2020 Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique
12/07/2020 Weert, Netherlands @ Bospop – Open Air
02/09/2020 Wuppertal, Germany @ Bürgerbahnhof
03/09/2020 Eppstein, Germany @ Wunderbar Weite Welt
04/09/2020 Utrecht, Netherlands @ De Helling
05/09/2020 Oss, Netherlands @ De Groene Engel
06/09/2020 Noyers-Auzécourt, France @ Rock ‘n Bike
08/09/2020 Norderstedt, Germany @ Music Star
10/09/2020 Hamburg, Germany @ Happy Billiard
11/09/2020 Joldelund, Germany @ Guitar Heroes XXL Festival
12/09/2020 Vollmershain, Germany @ Vollmershain Open Air
13/09/2020 Raismes, France @ Raismesfest
SPOTIFY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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