Search - Josh Thompson :: Way Out Here

Thompson Brings Truth to Bear "Way Out Here"

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 02/24/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: I Won't Go Crazy, Back Around, Sinner



Josh Thompson is a guy's guy. While country music has a way of emasculating anything remotely raved up with testosterone, Thompson puts the muscle back into country music. Dealing with issues such as the genesis of his scars, living with "guns and the good Lord," itching to buy a scratch-off ticket, dealing with a heartache (the guy's way of course), and making love to a Merle Haggard cassette, he lets it all out with a rave-up machismo honesty. Stylistically, he belongs to the camp of Jake Owens and Chris Young, where he teeters towards a brio of hard-rock country blues along hooky melodies and tight little puns. Yet, Thompson is not a novice on the music scene, previously he had written Jason Carroll Michael's title track of his last Arista album "Growing Up is Getting Old." And naturally on this Thompson's debut record, he has co-written 9 of these tracks here (some of his co-writers include country rockers such as George Ducas, Rhett Akins, Casey Beathard, and David Lee Murphy) with the song "Sinner" coming solely from his own pen.



Ingenuity is what earmarks many of these songs. "Won't Be Lonely Long" starts off slow giving you the impression this is a tear-in-your-beer song as Thompson bemoans the girl who has left in. But in his "ungentlemanly" style, the song soon kicks up into a rousing honky tonk burner as Thompson tries to deal with his heartache with more beer and an all night fun. While many male artists eschew the downright beer drinking male bonding songs in an effort not to alienate their female fans, Thompson goes full Monty with "Beer on the Table." Though it's a ball of fun to listen to, it's not particularly that distinctive with its very late 90s overpowering production. Similarly, the surging rock of "Blame It on Waylon" dwells on far too familiar territory where Mr. Jennings gets the blame for Thompson's tattoos and the scars. Much better is the autobiographical "Always Been Me" where Thompson is not afraid to take a stance for being who he is yet he's humble in apologizing for the times for being a "crazy S.O.B.."



Besides scars, tattoos and beer drinking, Thompson does deal with some heavy weight subjects. Stripped off all religious pretence and Christianize clichés, "Sinner" is an honest heart's cry about the need for divine forgiveness and atonement. Thompson's voice, which resounds so much like Tim McGraw's, is crystal-clear and heartfelt. With the moving ballad "I Won't Go Crazy,"we get to see a more malleable side of Thompson as he dwells on a million ways trying to get over a girl he lost. Just in case, one gets the impression that this guy's guy is incapable of romance, then listen to "Back Around." A male version of Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine" "Back Around" abounds with bittersweet maudlin memories of first love found and lost.



What perhaps is the most attractive selling point for "Way Out There" is that it's an honest record. Thompson and his producer Michael Knox (who also produces Jason Aldean) have allowed these 10 tracks to bring out issues that are dear to his heart in ways that are clever, heartfelt and true. As a result, such rhetoric has ways of connecting with others making this record one that many will find affinity with. In short, yes, this is a guy's guy record. But it's also so much more.

"

BUY THIS ALBUM!

Ray S | California | 03/12/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Country music needs more albums like this one. It's up-tempo, and not surprisingly I think the best songs on the track are the fast-paced ones, like "Beer On The Table", "Blame It On Waylon", and "Won't Be Lonely Long". In fact, I'm really surprised that "Won't Be Lonely Long" wasn't chosen to be his next radio single, and instead "Way Out Here" was. Weird to me. Anyway, this is definitely one of those albums I can see myself listening to for a long time, as I can already tell that the songs "Always Been Me" and "Won't Go Crazy" will grow on me the more and more I listen to them. Also, I'm really impressed by the fact that Thompson at least co-wrote every single cut on this record.



If I had to name a weakness with the album, it would be that there weren't enough songs dealing with serious subject matter (think Tim McGraw's "You Had To Be There"). Josh Thompson made a nice attempt with "Sinner", but that song didn't really do it for me. But I'm sure there are people out there who can relate to "Sinner" more than I can, and probably find it to be a great song. Either way, that's okay, overall this was an excellent debut album, and I'm more than happy to lay down my hard-earned cash with the hopes that Thompson will come out with another.



So please, if you're a fan of country music, support promising new artists like Josh Thompson!"