Jason Aldean - Relentless

Hailing from Macon, GA, country-rocker Jason Aldean absorbed a variety of musical influences in his youth and he happily incorporates them into his unusually personal style -- one that eschews Hat Brigade purity in favor of a greasy, gritty sound that draws on influences from all around the South and maybe a few points north as well. Following on the heels of both his surprise win as the Academy of Country Music's Top Male Vocalist and gold sales of his debut album, Relentless finds Aldean messing around with his sound a bit: the guitars are heavy and aggressive, and where others might incorporate lonely pedal steel he has a tendency to bring in a raunchy electric bottleneck guitar; the big chorus on "Who's Kissing You Tonight" is all Nashville, but the chugging twin guitars on the album's title track are more in line with vintage .38 Special than anything you're likely to hear coming out of Music City. Read More