There have been no line-up changes since the last album, meaning that frontman Robert Jon Burrison and Schneekluth are joined once again by founding drummer Andrew Espantman, long-time bassist Warren Murrel, and fairly new keyboard player Jake Abernathie. This album is perhaps less hard rocking overall and a little more plaintive than has often been the case for the band - with it leaning more towards the harder end of country rock at times, which the band have often flirted with, alongside some heartland rock vibes which bring Tom Petty to mind. There is still plenty of rock here, though, with Sittin' Pretty proving such from the off. Droning Hammond organ kicks things off, but a drum roll and a snappy guitar riff soon kick in - with the track being a fast-paced hard rocker which recalls some of the most high-octane and paciest moments of the band's career to date. There is little of the band's swagger and groove here, with old-school hard rock shining through. The main riff is bluesy, but its pace gives it a heaviness - whilst the constant growl of the organ, particularly during the chorus, adds further weight. The chorus is particularly powerful, too, with Burrison's slightly gritty vocals sitting nicely against this bed of organ and busy riffing - whilst Schneekluth throws in plenty of fast-paced lead guitar moments. His solo later is a bit more restrained, though, with long-held notes and plenty of bluesy bends, but this is really the only moment of such in the song - with shredded chorus leads, clattering drumming, and plenty of attitude making the song a blink-and-you-will-miss-it winner. Ashes in the Snow is perhaps a bit more representative of the album as a whole, though, with the song being something of a semi-ballad - with a more cinematic and emotional sound. Slide guitar melodies, which have always been a bit part of the band's sound, set an early tone whilst piano is generally used rather than organ this time to add a percussive and melodic depth. Reining in the grit of the previous song, Burrison channels that heartland rock vibe here - his natural warmth coming through during the verses which are somewhat paired back to allow occasional slide melodies to shine. The chorus is a bit bigger, with an organ and piano mix creating a big sound, whilst the warm vocal harmonies and heartfelt lyrics are easy to latch onto. Schneekluth later continues to use his slide to good effect during a solo section - and these aching melodies build on the emotions found elsewhere well. Highway opens with some bluesy guitar licks - which are soon doubled up Allman Brothers Band style as Espantman's drums kick in, and the song proves to be a good mix of punchy rock and heartfelt balladry. Once the drums start it seems as if the piece is going to be a proper rocker, and the later chorus is pretty punchy, but the verses recall the previous song somewhat - with all the focus on Burrison's vocals whilst clean guitar melodies and occasional piano runs create a strong atmosphere. There is a bit of a build towards the chorus, with subtle organ and percussion adding depth, but generally this is a song which mixes light and shade nicely - and the regular returns to the opening guitar harmonies are welcome, with one later morphing into a solo.
Old Man opens slowly, with piano melodies laying the foundation for Schneekluth to add some bluesy leads atop - but this slower intro is a bit of a trick, as soon the song morphs into a groovy southern rocker with a snaking, mid-paced guitar driving everything and plenty of room for bluesy lead guitar moments. The rawness of Cobb's production style shines through during the verses, as it is mostly left to the guitar and drums to shine and form a simple stomp - with the bass and keyboards more in the background. The chorus is much bigger in scope, though, with washes of organ doing plenty of heavy lifting alongside some big vocal hooks from Burrison - who, again, sounds heartfelt here. The stomp of the verses and the sweep of the chorus give the song a different feel - whilst emotional, bluesy guitar leads are regularly woven in and out to add colour. Dark Angel ups the pace somewhat, and goes for a high-octane country vibe at times - with busy guitar picking melodies, wordless vocal hooks, and an organic grounding thanks to the shuffle of the rhythm section. Robert Jon & The Wreck sometimes remind me a bit of Blackberry Smoke, and this song certainly shares similarities with the Georgia-based southern rockers. Burrison sounds a little like Charlie Starr during these verses, as he adopts a more country persona to fit with the grooves, whilst he returns to his trademark warmth during the chorus - which is, again, much bigger with plenty of organ. Schneekluth's solo is a little longer than has tended to be the case on the album up to this point, too, and he cuts loose quite a bit here - despite sounding controlled and melodic throughout. Long Gone is interesting insofar as it was co-written by the legendary yacht rocker John Oates. Robert Jon & The Wreck have somewhat flirted with that sound before with the breezy West Coast Eyes - but Long Gone is a pretty organic and slightly funky rocker which does not sound much like Oates' typical songwriting. Perhaps the subtle funk vibes are his doing, but generally the song is very much Robert Jon & The Wreck in style with busy guitar riffing, plenty of retro keyboard sounds, and a strong groove thanks to Espantman's drumming. Unlike many of the songs here, too, there is not much light and shade this time. The song generally rocks from start to finish, laying down a groove and rarely letting up, although parts of the chorus do go for something of an ethereal sound briefly - with enveloping keyboards and raw vocals. Better of Me returns to a strong southern sound - with tinkling piano playing setting a strong groove early on alongside some locked-in playing from the rhythm section. Big guitar chords and occasional bluesy leads are utilised, but generally the piano seems to be the main driving force here - with the chorus in particular seeing Abernathie cutting loose with lots of barroom embellishments. Like all good southern rock, there is something of a sleazy edge to the grooves and vocal melodies here - with the verses subtly snarled before the chorus sees subtle harmonies and a more expressive arrangement. This is later built upon by a cutting guitar solo - and a closing jam-based section with plenty of big guitar leads, piano, and scat vocals.
I Wanna Give It is another Blackberry Smoke-esque track - with the opening country guitar turnaround and electric piano combination very much out of Starr's songwriting songbook. This is no bad thing, though. The two bands have toured together in the past, and Starr has also written with Robert Jon & the Wreck. It is clear that Blackberry Smoke rubbed off on the band - and this country-esque track is dense in its arrangement as well as hooky. The verses are quite simple, with a rumbling bassline dominating whilst clean guitar melodies and a shuffling drum beat create a backing for Burrison's vocals - before the organ roars into action during a more overtly melodic chorus which is packed full of ear-candy vocal hooks and a pleasing overall production. A later guitar solo section does something a little different, though, with aching main melodies moving slowly - whilst occasional faster harmonies are laid into the background. This allows the song to have a point of difference overall - but generally the song's country rock sound is nothing especially new despite it working well in the capable hands of the band. Pseudo-title track Heartbreak & Last Goodbye is a big ballad, something which the band have generally excelled at in the past. It is another track with those heartland rock vibes mentioned earlier - and even though it does rock a little during the chorus it never moves past its ballad base, with plenty of room for Burrison's emotional and heartfelt vocals throughout. Grinding guitar grooves and organ counterpoints form the basis of the verses, with the piano taking over in a bigger way during the chorus - adding a slight groove behind the percussive accents caused by the drumming and Burrison's vocal harmonies. Abernathie gets to show off a bit later on, too, with a piano-led instrumental section showcasing some classical-adjacent playing during a break in the song's dense arrangement. This sits in the place of a traditional guitar solo, but the piano playing works well instead - and again it helps to create a point of difference. The album then comes to a close with Keep Myself Clean, a mid-paced and groovy southern rocker with shuffling guitar riffing and plenty of organ throughout. Punchy drumming and stabbing guitar riffing create a classic 1970s southern sound - with verses which see the guitars drop away as Burrison sings, only for them to crash in at the end of each line. Growling organ is utilised to add heaviness in places - whilst piano melodies are also utilised during some more plaintive moments, such as part of the chorus. Despite these few slower moments, the song in general is a rocker - even if it is more precise in its pace. This is not a blazing track, but the grooves and toughness of the guitar and organ washes are full of trademark southern rock vibes - whilst Schneekluth's solo late on filled with cutting bluesy melodies which still have that classic southern warmth to them. It is a powerful way to close out the album, and the band, yet again, prove they are one of the best southern rock acts of the modern era. Given how many songs the band have written in recent years, you would be forgiven for thinking that they were due for a slump - but on Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes Robert Jon & The Wreck have once again delivered a strong collection of songs which range for rock to country and back again. There are a lot of memorable numbers here and the California five-piece seem to be showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The album was released on 22nd August 2025 via Journeyman Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Ashes in the Snow.
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