Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Jason Aldean, Sony Music 2018.
This is the eighth studio album released by Jason Aldean but the first that I’ve listened to in its entirety.
Aldean is a two time, reigning and current ACM Entertainer of The Year nominee, and one of the biggest names in country music.
Jason’s style is hard driving guitar based modern country that owes as much to rock as it does to traditional country roots.
I have often mentioned that country music has been on a long-term drift towards the territory occupied by traditional rock and roll.
The album opens with two no-holds-barred up-tempo foot stompers, Dirt to Dust and Set it Off.
Both tracks rely heavily on solid rock grooves and impressive guitar work.
While the track Blacktop Gone is pure rock.
Getting Warmed Up borrows the chord structure of Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower (who knows who he got it from) and includes some very nice guitar solos and even a hip hop section.
The album does include traditional country ballads.
The stadium ready You Make it Easy is made to play to a sea of waving phone lights and the lost love lament of Drowns the Whiskey, featuring Miranda Lambert, is saturated in well-worn emotions.
There is even a touch of the blues in the single You Make it Easy.
The album was produced by long-time associate Michael Knox and is generous at 15 tracks in length.
I like the title track. There’s a nice use of space in the mix that allows the track to build to intense moments and a particularly good guitar solo.
This album is really a cross-over album.
A country album for non-country music fans.
