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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Rhett Repko

Songs of the Night

Review by Gary Hill

I have reviewed two of Rhett Repko's previously releases. I felt that the second one was the stronger of those two. Well, this new one raises the bar even more. This is definitely the best I've heard from him yet. And, I think it has a song that's the best number ever from him. Repko's brand of music is modern with retro leanings and catchy hooks. It's also very effective.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review
A Broken Song
There is a dark, rather bleak edge to this cut. It is packed full of alternative rock sounds. Some elements make me think of The Cure just a bit. This is edgy, but also catchy. It's very strong, too.
Out of My Head

You could say that there is a punk rock leaning to this. I'd say that it's more about the 60s garage sound that largely influenced punk, though. This feels in a lot of ways like it could have come from that period of time. It's a hard-edged rocker with some killer retro stylings, particularly on the instrumental section that even sounds like it has some theremin in it. The keyboards really bring a lot of magic to the whole tune. Again, the hooks are quite effective. While I liked the opener quite a bit, this far surpasses it. In fact, this might be my favorite cut from Repko.

More Than Friends
This tune feels a lot more modern. It has a real punk, emo edge to it. Still, it's no less catchy than the first two songs. It's a strong one, but doesn't stand up all that well to cut that preceded it. Mind you, that's more about the strength of that one than anything else, though.
Lotta Love
There is almost a dreamy kind of edge to this. It has hints of things like The Beatles in terms of some of the hooks. Yet, it's all delivered with a bit rawer, punky element at its heart. This is one of the most purely pop music based tunes here. I really dig the guitar fills on this.
The Way I Need You
"Alternative pop" would probably be the best description of this cut.  Like everything here, this is effective and accessible. It's one of the least remarkable songs, though. It's not that it's a bad tune. Clearly it is the opposite of that. It's just that the other songs all have a characteristic that makes them seem unique and apart from other similar artists. This one just feels a bit generic.
 
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