Today, Jason Aldean releases the first 15 songs from his mammoth 10th studio album Macon Georgia. Here, we review these tracks.
Over the course of Jason Aldean’s illustrious 16 year career, he has gone from strength to strength, earning a legion of hits and accolades, sold-out shows and tours. Now however, Aldean is set to look back to his roots on his 10th studio album MACON, GEORGIA, containing the #1 smash debut single “If I Didn’t Love You” with Carrie Underwood. Today, fans have access to nine more new tracks and five live tracks. Over the course of the following months, Aldean will continue to deliver new songs leading into the full release of all 30 tracks – 20 new and at least one live hit off each of his previous albums – on April 22, 2022. The full release will also be marked by a commemorative 3-disc vinyl set. The tracks certainly feel like a return to his roots, in possibly some of Aldean’s most humble songwriting to date.
Of the tracks, Aldean states, “Where you were raised has such a big influence on who you become and for me it’s no different…especially from a music standpoint…My little hometown of Macon was heavily instrumental in my musical background. Growing up in an environment that was a crossroads between Country music, Southern rock, blues and R&B, it was just natural to blend different sounds in my on way.” For the project, Aldean teamed up once more with longtime producer Michael Knox. This first batch of songs – Macon – runs the gamut from straight-up stadium rockers to bluesy barstool ballads, peppered with modern embellishments and all the chest thumping small-town pride his fans have come to crave. Aldean pushes his patented muscle Country sound to the limit with his hard rock, woozy barroom ballads, experimentation with hip hop and R&B, but stays centred in country lifestyle and the result is propulsive, staying true to his roots and reading his fanbase. Macon does not experiment with his trademark sound, but continues to add to his discography of slick rock-heavy country music that will be phenomenal in its live rendition, though it does feel like for the periphery fans of Aldean that this is a more muted, commercial and accessible records than some of his previous releases.
As with all traditional country albums, there is a fairly healthy dose of break-up songs on the record, opening with ‘After You’ and ‘Over You Again.’ The former about being lost after heartbreak – ‘I’m just trying to make some sense of it all / Looking for answers on this ol’ barstool / Just trying to figure out life… After You‘ – is a driving, searing and melancholic ballad, whilst the former is given a little external interest with the addition of a female vocal as Aldean sings about running away from the memory of a lover. As is to be expected, there is also a fairly healthy string of ‘barstool’ songs. ‘That’s What Tequila Does’ is a lingering, grooving track about tequila convincing you your hopes may come true ‘It’ll make you think that / You’ve got a chance with the one that got away when it goes down / She’s going to tell ya, she’s going to come back / And that’s what makes you stick around.’ As ever it’s got a chunky, meaty guitar that elevates the track that stands in contrast to the more muted ‘Story for Another Glass’ singing about drowning sorrows in ‘another glass.’ It’s a driving melody – the kind that could sway even a less hard-core Aldean fan, bringing the fever of his sound a notch, as is later track ‘This Bar Don’t Work Anymore.’ An interesting moment comes mid-way through this collection of songs, with a powerful cover of Bryan Adam’s ‘Heaven,’ that gives Aldean a moment to allow his vocal to shine. It won’t set the world on fire, but it’s a lovely nod to his roots and original influences.
It is to be expected, given Aldean’s recent social media posts, that he would dig into his small-town roots and lauding small town life in America. ‘Small Town Small’ is a guitar-heavy, searing track, where Aldean lays tribute to the blue-collar worker. ‘Here’s to all y’all, keeping small town small
‘If I Didn’t Love You’ is an easy stand-out moment that has got the recognition it deserves already, with the two superstars trading off mammoth vocals. However, the last two new songs on the record are easily two other stand-out moments, ‘The Sad Songs,’ co-written with Morgan Wallen is a big, heavy-hitting and heart-wrenching ballad, infused with regretful nostalgia from start to finish. It’s immensely introspective and brings back a more traditional, light-touch country production that feels immensely compelling. Final new song on the record is ‘Watching You Love Me,’ another stripped-back (for Aldean) track, dives back into his country roots and feels enormously 90s in feel, a RnB tinged bluesy ballad that opens up Aldean’s heart in a real way.
The record is rounded out with five live tracks, ‘Amarillo Sky’, ‘Johnny Cash’, ‘She’s Country’, ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘My Kinda Party’ that showcase the full energy of an Aldean show, though I can imagine will be skipped as a footnote for many fans. Macon is a surprisingly enjoyable record, even if you aren’t a fan of Aldean’s – there’s a little of everything in the country genre, from big swelling ballads, to blues-y moments and big signature Aldean country-rock anthems and there’s more depth and heart here than we’ve come to expect from many of Aldean’s records.
