Album Review: Aaron Lewis’ ‘Sinner’
Just like they are not always going to agree with you, they might not “get” you either. But, go into this with an open mind. It deserves to be got!
Aaron Lewis definitely knows how to kick off a release week. You would have to be hiding a rock to not have seen his statements regarding many of today’s more modern sounding Country musicians. Whether the statements made by the former Staind lead singer have anything to do or not with the fact this this album comes out this week, well…..I’ll leave that to you. Having spent some time with Lewis and knowing his sound, I will say that he thinks what he thinks and says what he feels – regardless of whatever week it is.
Before I get to this album……is he right? Ha. Ha. Ha. You think I am going to make any statements on that? All I will say that he is right…..according to him. But, if you were born in 1996 or 1997, you weren’t listening to Jones or Haggard growing up. Case in point, to me….Country Music has never gotten better – nor will be better than it was in the late 1970s and the 1980s. What introduced me to the format were artists like Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, the Oak Ridge Boys, and a lot of the later-year recordings of Conway Twitty. Before I knew who Hank Williams was…..the songs of Dennis Morgan and Kye Fleming dominated my listening preference. And, you know what? That does’t make me a bad person. At the same time, I don’t expect every Country fan to have as deep an appreciation of Buck Owens as I do because I grew up on Hee Haw. All that to say I like what I like, which is a little of everything. I can appreciate the Oak Ridge Boys and Luke Bryan equally. I don’t feel a desire to be the “Keeper of the Country Flame.” Someone once made a statement about opinions, and that is very much true.
That all being said, I LOVE this album. Aaron Lewis has always tried to keep his Rock and his Country sides separate from each other, and this album is a perfect example of that. The title track is as real and organic as it gets, and the appearance of Willie Nelson helps to give it very much a weary sound. He goes for a similar vibe on the winners “Whiskey and You” and “Lost and Lonely.” He then tips the hat to Merle Haggard’s rye sense of humor on the ironically-written “Sunday Every Saturday Night.” On neither cut is Lewis trying to be those artists. He knows that’s a losing battle. But, he definitely knows his way around a Country song – and does it well.
Perhaps the high-water mark here is the revealing “Mama.” To call this song – which oozes with pain and sadness – a masterpiece is an understatement. It might be one of the best songs to be on a Country record this year – or any other format, for that matter. I personally love the fact that the singer keeps his Country releases exactly that – Country. He might suffer at radio, just like Sheryl Crow did a few years ago with the equally brilliant Feels Like Home, but that’s the price of being an artist. Just like they are not always going to agree with you, they might not “get” you either. But, go into this with an open mind. It deserves to be got!
Sinner is available for purchase HERE.
