The beautiful thing about country music is its ability to touch on so many aspects of life, reminding you of both the wonders and tragedies that influence our everyday lives. Jason Aldean understands this as well as any country music artist today, and he proves it on his latest album “Night Train,” which released Tuesday.
The first single from the album, “Take A Little Ride” is a powerful, guitar-driven track that is best listened to as loud as possible, while singing/shouting along. Aldean sings, “Well I’m just ready to ride this Chevy / Ride this Chevy down a little back road / Slide your pretty little self on over / Get a little closer, turn up the radio,” in what was one of this summer’s best country anthems.
As with most albums, this one has a few misses for me (the awkwardly rap-infused “1994” and depressing “Black Tears”) but Aldean makes me fall in love again with songs such as “Staring at the Sun,” a sweet song about being in love with a woman he’s crazy about. “She holds on / Stuck in your head like an old song / She ain’t going away,” he sings.
“Walking Away” is another of the album’s best, as Aldean sings to a woman that she should give up on trying to save him. And “Night Train” is an instant favorite, about sneaking off at night with his girl. “This Nothin’ Town” makes me crave summer and being at home in my small town, with lyrics that claim “There’s always something going down in this nothin’ town.”
While I cannot imagine myself writing an ode to a water tower, I can appreciate the message behind the album’s final track, “Water Tower,” which is about coming home. “Slowin’ down and drivin’ in / I can finally breathe again / It’s like I found a long lost friend / God I’ve missed this town,” is often how I feel when returning to my own hometown.
As an album, “Night Train” makes my heart ache for home, which is what I look for in country music. It’s a little messy in parts, but so is life. Overall, fans of Aldean and country will not be disappointed with this release.
