22. February 2025
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Media Review

Aaron Watson – American Soul

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Aaron Watson - American Soul

Aaron Watson - American Soul
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very good lyrics / stories
  • Nice and catchy melodies
  • Hardly any weak track

Aaron Watson feels like the protagonist of a tobacco advertising campaign, like a dressman for American cowboy fashion – or simply as you would imagine a Texas country music artist. Watson is a quite established name in the business, indeed: since 1999, he is regularly releasing albums and grew his fan base steadily. On 8th January 2021, he released his latest album, American Soul. A review.

Aaron Watson – About The Artist

James Aaron Watson is a Texas country singer-songwriter, who was born on 20th August 1977 in Amarillo. At the age of 22, he released his first album Aaron Watson – Singers and Songwriters. His third album shutupanddance (2002) was the first one which got some national attention. Four years later, San Angelo was the first album chart placement for the artist. Since then, he was growing his popularity steadily, peaking in the mid-2010’s: his 2015 The Underdog even topped the US Country Charts, the following one, Vaquero, still made it second. The latter album also featured his biggest single hit, Outta Style, which made it to the Top 10 of the US Country Airplays. After a live and a Christmas album, he released his latest album, Red Bandana, in June 2019. The album peaked on the seventh spot of the US Country album charts. American Soul is Watson’s thirteenth studio album.

Aaron Watson – American Soul – Track by Track

The ten track album lasts 31 minutes.

1. Silverado Saturday Night

So baby climb on up and slide on in
High as a kite, feeling free as the wind
Find that buckle next to me in the middle
You can grind my gears but don’t you play me like a fiddle
We can tie one on and come unwound
Turn up the heat when the sun goes down
No, they don’t call it a truck bed for nothing, yeah, you know that’s right
Nothing’s better than a Silverado Saturday night

The first track on the album already feels welcoming, cozy: straight country music with a bit of a traditional touch – but also very speedy – the Silverado Saturday Night definitely feels like a hard hat and a party!

2. Boots

And I can’t keep my boots on the ground – the second track Boots is definitely bit of slower and has a big touch of romance in it. Again, I feel that Aaron Watson is creating a lovely sound, which makes you move. Sounds good!

3. Whisper My Name

You fire that engine up, feel that four on the floor
Your hands inside my shirt, feet up on the dashboard
I’m still your wildest side and, baby, you’re my wildest dream
Take you out and take you home, make a move and make you scream
When you whisper my name

Cool chorus! Apart from that, I really like that track again as well – not too surprisng Aaron Watson used it as a single beforehand. Really catching, straight country, with a modern, but also individual touch. Great writing!

4. Best Friend

Shall I spoil who the Best Friend in this song is? I decided not to do – and just recommend to listen to the song by yourself. A beautiful country ballad.

5. Long Live Cowboys

When I stated that Aaron Watson just looks like a prototype of a US cowboy (at least Europeanized perspective), it is not too surprising that he hopes for Long Live Cowboys. The song might be a bit too much on the heroic side – but finally, when you listen to it while driving through Texas on the Interstate, I am sure you will happily use the steering wheel or dashboard to clap a happy rhythm to it. Good song!

6. Stay

You make me wanna stay is the final verse of the chorus – and Stay is indeed a song which made me smile. One reason is the lovely, somehow stereotyped comparisons and pictures used in this song.

Like old Willie’s guitar, like a neon Lonestar
Just like all my drifting honky tonkin’ friends
Rolling from town to town, we throw it up, we tear it down
Back on the road again by 2am
All those last call late nights, no shows and bar fights
I need you like a tonic to my bottle of gin
You always take my empty cup then you fill it back up
You take my heart and top it off again

Don’t get me wrong – I feel it is really cool 🙂

7. American Soul

The title track of the album is one of these very characteristic US-praising songs at first sight – but it is also encouraging people to value the US values and to work and fight for them. Thus, it just does not feel that pathetic to me.

 

8. Out Of My Misery

Before you leave me drink all my wine, come steal my covers one last time
Won’t you stay, put me out of my misery
Come wreck my bed and hold me tight, break my heart come morning light
Just give me one more night, tonight have mercy on me
Put me out of my misery

This very fluent and melodic song even gave me some memories of the 1980’s era. It is a beautiful song – one, which I could by the way very well imagine in German mainstream radio as well. Beautiful chorus.

9. Touchdown Town

There just needs to be a song about American Football when you publish an album called American Soul, doesn’t it? I like the way how Watson is describing the emotions around the match event. Nice one.

10. Dog Tags

My heroes wear dog tags – the album closes with a praise to the US troops and their role preserving freedom. I typically simply do not refer that much to these kind of songs, but I really enjoy the way Watson is doing it – and finishes his American Soul in style.

 

Aaron Watson – American Soul – Spotify

Here is the American Soul Spotify widget:

 

Aaron Watson – American Soul – My View

When I listened to American Soul the first time, I felt it was rather average – but the more often and the deeper I listen to Aaron Watson songs, the more I recognized that I will have to go for the higher ratings. Finally, after completing my review, I am in the Top Pick! zone. The songs are telling great songs, using a very good and clear (but still picturesque) language and the melodies are good. Did I miss any ingredients to make a good song? Don’t think so. If you pass all exams with a good mark, your final report is simply a good one: very well done, Mr Watson!

 

Top Pick Country Media Reviews

Here are all country music media reviews, which have been awarded with Top Pick! status:

 

All “classic” blog posts

No reviews – just debating and certain topics – these are my “traditional” blog posts in the categories Just blogging, Just blogging on music and Sports Blogging:

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