When I reviewed "The Truth," I pointed out how its sound is markedly more country than the rest of Aldean's career so far. I liked this song from the get-go and am only liking it more now that it's zipping up the charts.
If anyone else had sung it, I would probably have thought it to be a great song, but what really makes it stand out is that it seems to be marking a change in Jason's sound. When he started out, he seemed to go back and forth, between rock-influenced, guitar-heavy romps such as "Hicktown" and country-pop ballads such as "Why" and "Laughed Until We Cried." While Aldean's current album was led off by the loud, crunchy "She's Country," he backed that up with his biggest hit to date, the laid-back "Big Green Tractor." Between that song and "The Truth," the sound is a lot softer but still highly distinctive, and so far, this change seems to be working.
The song is very well-written all around, leaning a bit close to Brice Long's (or Chris Cagle's) "Anywhere but Here" but not nearly as melancholic. In the single review, I stated that I heard traces of McBride & the Ride; indeed, just about any second-tier act in the 1990s could have pulled this song off convincingly. Jason, however, seems to be a surprisingly natural fit to the song.
In short, the song could've been a hit for nearly anyone, but I'm glad that it's a hit for Jason Aldean — because not only is it an all-around great song, it's also a refreshing change of pace for him, and a very strong sign of artistic growth. I've enjoyed all of his singles so far, but if this is a sign of things to come, then I'm all for it.
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