Jason Aldean's sophomore album serves up some similar country rock tunes as those on his self-titled Platinum debut. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Favorite tracks include "Laughed Until We Cried," "No," "My Memory Ain't What It Used To Be," and the duet with Miranda Lambert, "Grown Woman."
In the first single, the wild and reckless "Johnny Cash" he teams up again with songwriters John Rich, Vicky McGehee, and Rodney Clawson, who wrote Jason's first No. 1, "Why." The song is sitting at No. 15 this week, and still moving up. It's the fastest-rising song so far of Jason's career.
"Laughed Until We Cried" would fit right in on a Kenny Chesney album, with its reminiscing about the past times, good and bad. This is easily a Top 5 single.
Jason sings again about the past, asking his ex if she wishes that they were still together in "Do You Wish It Was Me." He sings, "Has the glitter all faded, do you get what you need? Are you satisfied baby, or do you wish it was me."
In "Who's Kissing You Tonight," Jason sings once more about wondering who his ex is kissing. The title track shows the happier side of love. Jason compares his girl's love to a hurricane, and he just leans into the wind and smiles.
"My Memory Ain't What It Used To Be" is another song where he looks back, and he can't remember why he and his ex broke up. He sings "It's crazy, holding you close to me, seeing you smile at me, is all that I recall." In "No," the story is similar to Garth Brooks' "The Dance," where he thinks about where he is now, and how he's had some hard times in the past, but he wouldn't change anything at all, 'cause he's laying right next to his girl now. This is another song I see as a possible single.
The duet with Miranda Lambert is an interesting song, as well. It's called "Grown Woman," and he laments that she should have known better than to treat him like an old dishrag that she just used up and tossed away. My favorite line is "I ain't no old lipstick you use up and throw away, when you're ready for another shade." Jason and Miranda's voices blend really well together.
All in all, I think Relentless is another winner for Jason Aldean. It's an album you can stick in your CD player while you're driving down the highway, and sing along with every song. Thumbs up.
Track List:
- Johnny Cash
- Laughed Until We Cried
- Do You Wish It Was Me
- I Use What I Got
- Who's Kissing You Tonight
- Relentless
- My Memory Ain't What It Used To Be
- No
- Back In This Cigarette
- Grown Woman (with Miranda Lambert)
- I Break Everything I Touch
- Not Every Man Lives