Jason Rogers Country Music

Artist: Jason Rogers
Album: Jason Rogers
Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

Thinkin’/Remembering The Good Ones/Breathe Into Me/Love Won’t Let Me Leave/It Ain’t Braggin’/Keeps Beating On/ The Good Ole Days/ Cold Here In Montana/Don’t Quit Your Night Job/Thinking About Changing/Pretty To Me/Why Does Everybody Look At Me?

Producer: Martin Young
Blue Buck Records
43:59

Jason Rogers grew up in a small rural community in eastern Canada and can therefore lay claim to a genuine country lifestyle. The great outdoors, hunting and fishing are a part of everyday life, but what the album, or indeed, website or press releases don’t mention is that for a few months of his childhood he lived in Scarborough – yes, the one in England! Jason has dual American / Canadian nationality. Also, and judging by a few email exchanges regarding a review, he seems to possess a winning personality and sense of humour. He also happens to have made a highly enjoyable contemporary country album and writes some pretty darn decent songs.

The one which had initially got my attention is the interestingly titled Why Does Everybody Look At ME? Is this paranoia? But I know how he feels. Really, I can relate to the song. It must have something to do with my pointy toe cowboy boots being a little out of place in Sainbury’s. Rogers asks in the song, “Maybe it’s my cowboy hat / or my torn up Levi jeans.” The song itself is a catchy, fiddle-laden two stepper every bit as enjoyable as it’s title, and for me is the best track on the album.

But that’s not to say there is nothing else of interest. Cold Here In Montana is a killer ballad, good enough to be cut by any number of major label acts. Not a new idea, but the “cold here in Montana / but cooler still in Tennessee” hook is executed really well.

Don’t Quit Your Night Job is the kind of song I would imagine Confederate Railroad having recorded some years back and is a nice story (autobiographical?) of a struggling musician. Breathe Into Me is a lush, gorgeous, slow paced ballad, as is, Thinking About Changing, whilst The Good Ole Days has a typical Friday night good-time feel, and again, could easily fit right in on many a Music Row offering. Likewise, the opening track, Thinkin’, has single written all over it.

A couple of the songs are little over-long – Love Won’t Let Me Leave and Pretty To Me, both running over four minutes – occasionally Jason might be stretching himself vocally, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment, and at times it rocks our unnecessarily, but these are minor niggles. It doesn’t sound like an indie release, it sounds like an album wanting a home. Looks to me as though he should put his US passport to work and head for Nashville.

(www.jasonrogerscountry.com)

Duncan Warwick
Country Music People Magazine – Covering the UK – August 2009