Relentless (CD - 2007)

On his second studio album, RELENTLESS, Georgia-born performer Jason Aldean doles out a lively set of restless country tunes. Admittedly a fan of hard-rock acts such as Guns N' Roses, the young singer isn't afraid to feature prominent drums and amped-up guitars, as best revealed on the rollicking hit single "Johnny Cash," which sounds more like Big & Rich than the late Man in Black--not a coincidence, since the former act's John Rich co-penned the tune. Even the gentler numbers on RELENTLESS bristle with energy, as on the lovelorn "Who's Kissing You Tonight," reinforcing Aldean's reputation as a harder-edged country star on the rise.

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. And if "My Memory Ain't What It Used to Be" never quite seems to get off the ground, the roaring "Johnny Cash" and the more subtly uplifting "No" both make up for it. And his duet with Miranda Lambert on "Grown Woman" is a slow-burning gem. (If you need more cowbell, consult the brilliantly rollicking "I Break Everything I Touch.") ~ Rick Anderson minimize