Aaron Lewis: A Real Country Boy

Aaron Lewis: Gone Country

An honest-to-God indication of whether something is good or not is what happens to you the first time you hear it. The first time I heard Aaron Lewis singing “Country Boy” I had to stop what I was doing and listen, all the way through. What I heard was a voice like syrup singing slow and deep so that it seeped into every pore. It is a voice made to deliver that kind of hard-as-nails country usually reserved for sexy patriotic songs—you know the kind, the ones that want to seduce you to go party in the woods with a truck, a fifth and a gun. 

Aaron Lewis reminds me of Justin Moore and Josh Thompson in that way. It’s the delivery of a point of view made softer with a guitar that flirts with you rather than knocks you out. It also reminds me of the best of Kid Rock, who can be inconsistent when it comes to marrying melody with lyrics. I might cause all kinds of trouble by saying his voice reminds me of Darius Rucker too, but hey, Hootie still sounds great. Tell me I’m wrong, I dare you. Come to think of it, I hear echoes of Bon Jovi too, "Wanted Dead of Alive." 

I’m also used to hearing Hank Jr. being called out in support of the South, but this is a love song to Massachusetts. Town Line is one of those six-pack albums, fewer songs, costs less. It you buy it on iTunes it comes with the video for Country Boy, and several different versions. George Jones provides a nice cameo as a growly ghost at the microphone, and it’s nice to hear Chris Young’s voice on there too.

At the end of the day, what matters is that Aaron Lewis can sing, no matter what he’s singing. And The Inky Jukebox likes tattooed gunslingers.

Here's some more:

The best Pearl Jam song they ever did, by the way. 

Dude can be measured by the depth and breadth of his covers. 

Check out "Piano Man"

Check out "Patience"

Check out "Hurt"