significant amount of production work. The musicians are supported by drummer Scotty Kormos and bassist Adam Kury. The sound, while tempered and relatively quiet, stays lush and full even on the acoustic track.

 

The full band version of “Still Here” opens the EP, while the acoustic version closes it. As befits a song created in assistance with his partner, “Still Here” is a song about the first rush of lust in a new relationship and how it eventually fades. “Patient Hearts” follows this romantic love song as a platonic love song. Pete’s mellifluous vocals transport the listener to a place both soothing and comfortable. The fact that this song is about a friendship with someone named Jimmy doesn’t mitigate the love the singer feels towards his friend. It’s strange that someone has to create a song like this to make people realize that there should be more tunes about friendships and platonic relationships rather than erotic escapades and passionate love.

 

“Let It All Go” opens with a greater tempo than its predecessors. As with “Patient Hearts,” this tune seems deeper and more meaningful than it actually is. This stems from Pete’s wonderfully smooth voice and his measured musical presentation. The vocals on “Reload,” however, get processed through a sonic filter, which makes them feel a bit more distant than the other songs. This is effective at setting a different tone for the song, though; a tone only enhanced by metallic sounding guitars.

 

The Springsteen cover comes across quite different than when performed by The Boss himself. At 2 minutes and 4 seconds, this version is much shorter as well. Pete’s version is softer, less urgent, and more intimate than any of Springsteen’s songs. Pete is by far the better singer, but he also lacks the sense of rock and roll that seems to be effortlessly emitted by Springsteen and his work.

 

Pete RG’s Lightning Strikes provides a sensual and sonic experience. It’s like a warm summer rain; the kind where you ditch the umbrella, because it’s so soft and pleasant that you’d rather get wet than worry. This is completely angst-free music, perfect for a quiet evening if Celine Dion or Luther Vandross don’t satisfy your tastes. This EP will definitely provide the soundtrack to my summer spent around the campfire.

 

The musical equivalent to milk chocolate, Pete RG play some of the most radio-friendly alternative music I’ve enjoyed in quite awhile. The six-song Lightning Strikes EP includes four original songs, a cover of Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” and an acoustic version of one of the original songs. The collection hangs together spectacularly well, yet each song maintains a distinct place for itself.

 

Pete RG provides the majority of the vocals and instrumental inspiration, but his “musical Swiss Army Knife” collaborator Brina Kabler contributes backing vocals and talent on several different instruments, not to mention her