Review:  Robert Jon & The Wreck – Heartbreak & Last Goodbyes

Journeyman Records (August 22^nd, 2025)

Reviewer – Grant Foster

I think it’s fair to say that bluesy Southern rock is in a fairly healthy state right now.

The standard is as high as it’s ever been.

Although with the retirement of the Steel Woods – sadly missed – there’s a space at the top table alongside the likes of Blackberry Smoke.

I’m going to digress now, but, there’s a great live music venue close to me over here in southern Spain that I frequent called Harleys. It puts on live acts, mainly rock and is an American Diner. It has its own stage, which is a rarity amongst these parts! If you’re in and around Arboleas, go visit them!!

The owners, Rachel and Rene, are rock aficionados and it was they, who alerted me to Robert Jon & The Wreck (RJ&TW). They know their onions so to speak when it comes to this genre, so when the new album from RJ&TW was on offer, I felt compelled to review it.

Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not really cognisant with the band’s back catalogue. Just that Rene and Rachel like them and have travelled to see them in Madrid!

So, what’s on offer here?

The opening track rattles along at a fair lick based on a call and response verse, a rattling gatlin gun verse and drum fills a go go.

The band play an ace card early with ‘Ashes In The Snow‘.

Melodic slide mixes delightfully with a heartfelt lyric about despair in a relationship – “A house without love, is a house full of pain.”

It really is a killer song, part haunting, but one you can holler along at the top of your voice.

‘Highway‘ sees a cascading guitar riff lead into a double time chorus. The verses are sparse which gives space for the chorus to lift the song.

Piano and guitar introduce ‘Old Man‘. This has a real classic rock feel, a stop start riff and a delicious vocal over the top. Roomy and airy, it’s for the 70’s Skynyrd vibe running through it but with a modern twist.

Time for a bit of honk! ‘Dark Angel‘ is all that and more. It stomps all over you and has another wonderful chorus that’ll become an ear worm in a matter of minutes.

The beginning of ‘Long Gone‘ throws you back to early Blackfoot. Then it comes in and funks the life out of you! It’s groovy, but in a good way. The chorus gives it all room to breathe, but it’s an unexpected gem full of wah wah guitar.

Remember when the Black Crowes were really organic? ‘Better Of Me‘ is that style mixed with a heavy dash of Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke in the vocal department.

The mix of piano and guitar sits just right. Someone pass me a Jack and a Jim and make them large!

Change of pace with ‘I Wanna Give It‘. The guitar hints at ‘Games People Play’, but it s a solid enough tune, with a nice chorus.

The title track finally reveals itself at track number 9. 

It pulls a moody on you. Almost gospel in its delivery, the melody lines here are things of sheer beauty. There some real angst going on here. 

Last song, ‘Keep Myself Clean‘ shuffles on through with a vocal that I can’t get away from describing as a Southern Phil Collins and yes that’s meant as a compliment!

The production has an almost shimmering quality and there some interesting use of effects on singer / voice. It brings the band in front and centre of you.

The guitar work punctuates nicely and never overplays and has that ever so slight hint of the Skynyrd sound, but without being a direct copy.

As I said, I haven’t heard anything else by Robert Jon & The Wreck, but I’d be amazed if they had released anything quite as good as this. 

Playing regularly on repeat loop in Harleys real soon!

Tracklist

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