Heartland Incident: Details at 10
Due to this EP's knockin' on radio's door with all fists, a moderate percentage of ears will not give it the time of day. For the majority of you, 22 minutes will not be enough, so you'll need to keep in mind that the disc is "half" full. Half full of what? Romeo Laureano, a band whose music comes straight out of the radio and sounds like...well, forget John Lennon for a minute and imagine that John Mellencamp is singing with Huey Lewis's band, The News. If that seems like a quirky suggestion, so be it.
You might hear something else, like maybe Romeo Laureano. The speakers hold the proof. The musicianship, the sound and the songs are exceptionally well done on this record, so it is good to know some of it was recorded right here in our community with MIXworks maestro Todd Smith manning the soundboard.
When Jay Goldstein sings, "Stop it baby, you have won this fight/My soul has surrendered/You ain't wrong and I ain't right," the words and sentiment are pretty convincing, with the musical accompaniment driving the point home, that appropriately timed capitulation can effect a win-win situation.
Foghat fans like me may at first hear the words "stone blue" when listening to "Soul Groove." However, lines such as, "The party's on and the groove is tight/ We'll be dancing in the street 'til the morning light," sung with crowd-pleasing music will likely stop the scan activity on many a car radio. Radio aside, it would be one part of a great stress-buster CD any evening on the way home from work.
Contact the band to offer questions, feedback or to hire them via jgoldstein@wbki.tv.