Music review: Jason Aldean – 鈥楾hey Don鈥檛 Know鈥�
Jason Aldean鈥檚 seventh studio release takes him back to the infectious country-rock style previously featured on 2010鈥檚 鈥淢y Kinda Party鈥� and away from the slick production of 2014鈥檚 鈥淥ld Boots, New Dirt.鈥�
The Georgia native first caught my attention by delivering spirited tracks like 鈥淭attoos on This Town,鈥� 鈥淒irt Road Anthem鈥� and 鈥淪he鈥檚 Country鈥� with plenty of swagger and loud, grinding guitars.
The reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year rocks it from the start by declaring that the six-string circus has come to town. 鈥淟ights Come On,鈥� penned by Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, is the perfect number to open the festivities with Aldean describing the adrenaline that starts pumping at the start of every show singing, 鈥淲hen the light鈥檚 come on/And everybody鈥檚 screamin鈥�/Lighters in the sky/And everybody鈥檚 singin鈥�/Every word to every song.鈥�
鈥淎 Little More Summertime鈥� is a soaring number that compares the loss of a love to the coming close of summer with its warm rays and endless possibilities slowly fading into fall.
Reminiscent of his hit 鈥淗icktown,鈥� the title track finds Aldean praising the virtues of living in a small town as he passionately announces, 鈥淭hey ain鈥檛 seen the blood, sweat and tears it took to live their dreams/When everything鈥檚 on the line/Ain鈥檛 just another field, just another farm/No, it鈥檚 the ground we grew up on/They think it鈥檚 a middle-of-nowhere place where we take it slow/But they don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Rousing party anthems like 鈥淐omin鈥� in Hot,鈥� 鈥淥ne We Won鈥檛 Forget,鈥� and 鈥淭he Way a Night Should Feel鈥� dominate the new set and demonstrate why Aldean is a true country superstar.
The tender ballad 鈥淔irst Time Again鈥� features a duet with Kelsea Ballerini and follows the same winning formula as Aldean鈥檚 stirring pairing with Kelly Clarkson on 鈥淒on鈥檛 You Wanna Stay鈥� from 2010.
You can bet that Aldean and his band will be coming in hot when they arrive in Pittsburgh on Sept. 24 for a performance at First Niagara Pavilion.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer.
Rhodes can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.