Robert Jon & The Wreck - Red Moon Rising
by Kevin Wierzbicki
These SoCal rockers have been consistently building a fervent fan base and a listen to their strong new album
Red Moon Rising demonstrates exactly why Robert Jon & The Wreck are becoming a household name. The guys --- lead singer and guitarist Robert Jon Burrison, lead guitarist Henry James Schneekluth, drummer Andrew Espantman, bassist Warren Murrel and keys man Jake Abernathie --- are known for their affinity for Southern Rock and they deal out plenty of it here, but on album opener "Stone Cold Killer" they show their fondness for good old classic rock, nodding a bit to AC/DC in attitude and delivery as Burrison issues an advisement about a femme fatale. More problems with a woman await in the funky "Trouble;" no doubt these two songs will resonate with fellas who've recently suffered a breakup or rough patch in their relationship and everyone else will dig them too as they are extremely catchy. Perhaps it's no surprise then that "Ballad of a Broken Hearted Man" is up next; the song plays out to a slow and swampy groove and an eeriness that evokes a distinct Lynyrd Skynyrd vibe. Title cut "Red Moon Rising" is more swampy Southern Rock with Little Feat-style funk and a chorus that, while maybe a little tricky to sing along to at first, will ultimately be a fan favorite. "Hold On" also evokes the spirit of Skynyrd and "Down No More" finds Schneekluth playing sweet guitar that many will hear as a nod to Dickey Betts. Holding it all together of course is Burrison who sings in a voice like honeyed whiskey with just enough of a rasp here and there for extra emphasis, a technique he sets aside for "Worried Mind," the album's mellowest cut. The hopeful "Give Love" ends the 10-song effort except for two appended bonus cuts: the straight-ahead rocker "Rager" and the Allman Brothers Band recalling "Hate to See You Go." All songs are originals with the writing credits going to the entire band, perhaps an indication of why they're so tight throughout.
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