The Bottom Line
Pros
- "The Letter"
- "4th Of July"
- "Steady At The Wheel"
Cons
- Will mainstream radio play these songs?
Description
- 9 of 11 songs written or co-written by Shooter Jennings.
- Produced by Dave Cobb.
- Released by Universal South.
Guide Review - Shooter Jennings – Put The O Back In Country
For any new artist to have complete control of their recording is truly unique. For Shooter Jennings such things are mandatory. If the Jennings part of his name rings a bell, it should for Shooter is Waylon and Jessi Colter's only child. You see, Shooter is very much like his parents and has a core sound that will recall Waylon while also rockin' out a bit courtesy of Shooter's time headlining the band Stargunn. Shooter recorded "Put The O Back In Country" in LA with his own band and producer and shopped it to labels. Universal South signed Shooter to a recording contract.So, you may be wondering, is the music as good as the history? Yes it is. The title track starts off the record and it immediately states where Shooter is coming from. First single "4th Of July" is a rockin' little tune that hopefully will find a home on some kind of radio station. "Solid Country Gold" finds Shooter lamenting the state of current country music while "Steady At The Wheel" is an all-out rocker that could find a home on Triple A radio stations. "Manifesto No. 1" is one of the better Gospel tinged songs I've heard in a while. "The Letter" reminds me of a Wallflowers song musically but lyrically could stand out on country radio. It's a ballad but different from most ballads.
Shooter Jennings is a gifted artist just like his parents. He has a close-knit sound via his band (who tours with him) while Dave Cobb's production accents the melodies and vocals perfectly.
