“You’re the One” by Greta Van Fleet

I don’t entirely agree with those who say Greta Van Fleet is just a warmed-over imitation of Led Zeppelin. Granted, they are definitely recycling influences from Classic Rock (they’ve never really pretended otherwise), and their vocalist is certainly doing an uncanny Robert Plant impersonation, but their instrumentation has always given me more of a Lynyrd Skynyrd or Creedence Clearwater Revival vibe…more Swamp-Rock or Southern Rock than the harsher sounds of Zeppelin’s early Heavy Metal style. The resulting mix of styles does give them at least some semblance of their own distinct sound, and this particular song, which is more a piece of Folk balladry than their usual Rock sound, certainly shows they aren’t entirely indebted to the Led Zeppelin influences.

That said, I’m not entirely sure why they’re getting as much attention within their field as they are, or why they’re being touted as the ‘leaders’ of the Classic Rock Revival. After all, Halestorm and the Pretty Reckless are both better bands in the same Retro-Rock style that were around quite a while before Greta Van Fleet, and both are still together and recording…Halestorm released a new album just last year, in fact.

While it may demonstrate some small degree of versatility, even this song, while well-played and well-sung, isn’t really all that interesting as a composition, especially compared to songs by the aforementioned other bands in this subgenre.

Verdict: A decent enough slice of retro-Folk Rock, but I just don’t see why it justifies all the attention.

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