Music review: Jason Aldean – ‘Rearview Town’
Six months after his powerful “Saturday Night Live” performance of Tom PettyĢƵ “I Won’t Back Down” in remembrance of the Las Vegas shooting victims, Jason Aldean releases a new album that displays a defiant determination.
The spirited “Dirt to Dust” opens the set with the Georgia native describing the vital transition from work week to weekend singing, “Light it up, let it out, stir it up, turning dirt to dust.”
Made loud to be played loud, the party anthems “Gettin’ Warmed Up” and “Set It Off” follow the familiar formula found on “Lights Come On” and “The Way a Night Should Feel” from 2016ĢƵ “They Don’t Know.” One could say that this is definitely the 41-year-old singer-songwriterĢƵ kind of party as he sings about turning an ordinary night into something memorable.
Written by Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line along with Morgan Wallen and Jordan Schmidt, “You Make It Easy” is the albumĢƵ first single and carries a smooth blues vibe as Aldean reflects on the inspiration provided by his better half by declaring, “You’re my sunshine in the darkest days/My better half, my saving grace/You make me who I wanna be.”
The title track speaks about leaving the limited opportunities of a small town for bigger and better things with Aldean confessing, “Never thought I’d ever leave it/It ain’t nothin’ what it used to be.”
The theme of moving forward continues on “Blacktop Gone” with Aldean making a hasty exit while singing, “Blacktop gone, four lane fast/Topping off the tank with some never look back.”
Of course, heartache always manages to spoil the good times.
On “High Noon Neon,” the loneliness of hitting rock bottom is revealed when you find yourself sitting at the bar in the middle of the day trying to drink away her memory.
The heartbreak continues on the closer “Drowns the Whiskey” with Miranda Lambert joining Aldean only to discover (much like Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart back in 1991) the whiskey ain’t working at washing away the memories contributing to a broken heart.
You can bet it will be electric when Aldean hits the stage during a Pittsburgh appearance at KeyBank Pavilion on Aug. 24.
Clint Rhodes is the ĢƵ music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.

