The (rightful) knock on many of the “old punks gone solo” is that it’s a person with an acoustic guitar, playing stripped down punk that kind of all sounds the same by the time the record ends. Add the concept of this record, a Ramones covers album, and you likely already expect a lot of that “sameness factor.”
Ramones in Love, a Valentine’s Day release with a belated review here, counters that stereotype. The songs, while covers of the mostly 4/4 Ramones, are arranged carefully to fit different moods. You get straight-forward singer-songwriter folk, but also country ballads, strings, minimalism and even sound effects. Each of the 13 songs sounds unique, but with a common voice -- make that two common voices: Kepi and the Ramones. And while Kepi can pull off a pretty mean Joey impersonation when he chooses, he’s personal instead, and the record benefits from putting his own stamp on the songs.
Like any covers record, this serves a few goals: to recognize good songs, to highlight songwriting, and to share a mood or theme. The love songs here aren’t all happy -- not by a longshot. This isn’t a saccharine Valentine’s Day mix, it’s a wide range of material that fits any day of the year. Furthermore, kind of like the recent Dave Hause covers EPs, it feels like Kepi made this record to highlight that the Ramones had some touching lyrics in their deep cuts. It’s not all “Beat on the Brat” and “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.”
In fact, it’s made me see a few songs in new ways, like “Questioningly,” which is totally reimagined as a country song, the piano ballad of “She Belongs To Me,” or strings and timpani flourishes in “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.” The songs are stripped down, yes, effectively adding a further personal touch to their heartfelt content. This record makes me appreciate both Kepi and the Ramones in new ways. It’s also the rare cover record where I don’t think you’d need to be a fan in advance to enjoy it.
