Rip Cat Records artist: Gino Matteo - Sweet Revival - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Sweet Revival, by Gino Matteo and it's quite interesting. Matteo, a So Cal based singer songwriter has put together 9 new tracks using his own unique style and voice. Opening with Here Comes The Lord, Matteo blends rock ballad with gospel and tops it off with clean guitar riffs and warm backing vocals for a overall cool track. Pulpit In The Graveyard takes clues from southern rock and Matteo really shows that his melody writing is up to his vocal talents. Coming Clean features Jason Ricci on harp and on a country rockin track Trevor Monks really holds down the bottom on drums with James Breker on bass. A nice groove and a great feel in vocal delivery from Matteo with great backing vocals from Jade Bennett, Steve Delgado and Sherri Pruitt. A unique approach to soloing is the key that binds the funk to the bottom on this track actually sounding more like Govt Mule than any other band I can think of. Take A Chance On Me opens with some really sweet piano work from Dave Kelley and Matteo plays guitar melodically opening a wide path for his vocals. primarily a ballad, this is really strongly composed and performed and possibly my favorite track on this release. Childhood Games is a uptempo blues rocker with a cool radio hook. This is a track that I could easily see being picked up as a TV or Movie theme song. Grandma Told Me opens with some really cool instrumentals on electric keys and guitar with heavy reverb. Played over the solitary sound of light percussion this heavily Latin influenced track is absolutely beautiful. Matteo's vocals blended at time as a duet is very soothing, contrasted by a controlled burn on open guitar soloing with hot Spanish styling. Excellent! The Longest Night blends the sounds of the Clash with surf guitar and creates once again a unique style with an 80's pinch. Matteo again shows that he's a finisher with guitar anthem soloing concluding this track. We Can Find A Way has a light funky / R&B rhythm and with the addition of B-3 takes on a little Stevie Wonder flavor but staying in the Latin vein. Another cool track that should easily find airplay. Listen To Your Mother closes the release with a quiet ballad with light keys and brushes on the bottom and crisp acoustic guitar soloing and dabs of textural harp work from Ricci to round out the sound. This is a cool, interesting release and one that could easily have multiple frequent radio play tracks.

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