Rhett Repko - About Last Night (2017)

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Written by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin

Acoustic/electric troubadour Rhett Repko hails from the mighty Maryland scene; a scene that has given us everyone from heavy riff master Wino to the wild psychedelia of Animal Collective.  Anytime that I receive a promo or demo from the state, I’m always at ease knowing that I will probably be in for some really good music; Repko’s debut EP, a 6-track effort entitled About Last Night is no exception to the rule.  Splicing together tuneful charm and chunky guitar work, Rhett and his three-piece band provide some dazzling grooves and anthem-ready choruses for the listener to sink his or her teeth into.

The lead-in composition “Were You Ever Really Mine?” sports a slick, radio-friendly acoustic groove and prominent vocal melodies that showcases Repko’s knack for sultry high-note melodies.  Though he could steer the track in one sole direction, acoustic meditation is intersected by Stefan Heuer’s heavier riffs and busy lead guitar licks.  As the rhythm section goes from softly accompanying the lighter portions to employing slightly more bombastic on the rock portions, the song ends up far more than the sum of its parts.  “She Loves Me” has a punchy, drunk by noon country feel that’s more befitting of the outlaw originators than the false successors.  Filled to the brim with dirt-under-the-nails blues riffs and zippy lead bits, Repko and his acoustic maintain soulful melody even when things start ripping a little harder than usual. 

The EP’s centerpiece “About Last Night” could wow them at pop radio or ignite an arena crowd into silent communion with lighters in the air.  It’s a soft, slow motion number totally built around Rhett’s airy vocals, wandering guitar trips and a symphonic section.  A pair of late game rockers “Inside of Me” and “On the Run” ramp up the mood, respectively before closer “Bye Bye Baby” sends things off in waves of tranquil singer/songwriter, acoustic-guitar led pop.  It’s a romantic track that stands as one of the EP’s defining moments. 

This EP could become a huge crossover success with college radio behind it.  Mainstream radio could additionally benefit from adding Rhett Repko’s tunes to their playlist.  In the meantime, intrepid rock explores that search every corner of the Internet for satisfaction through music will no doubt find quite a gem in Rhett Repko’s flagship release.  The standout tunes on the release are  “She loves me,” “About Last Night” and “On the Run”, but it’s quite solid overall and should appeal to music devotees and casual fans alike.