Album Review: Jake Owen's 'Days of Gold'

Artist: Jake Owen
Release Date: December 2013
Label: RCA Nashville
Producer: Joey Moi

Kitch's Rating: 9/10

Rising country superstar, Jake Owen, out of Vero Beach, Florida, is back with his fourth and most anticipated studio album, released by RCA Records Nashville. Owen's last release, 'Barefoot Blue Jean Night' spawned four hit singles - the anthemic title track as well as 'Alone With You', 'The One That Got Away' & 'Anywhere With You' and the new album looks to continue the party-happy ways of the last.

There's no doubt that Owen is amongst the new brand of country artists in Nashville (think Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and the uber-popular duo Florida Georgia Line...) at the moment, mostly good-looking guys singing pop/rock-type catchy, hooky songs about trucks, beer, girls and endless summer nights getting up to all sorts of mischief.

Sure, it's not your granddad's country, and that's probably why I enjoy it so much, but the music - particularly on Days of Gold - is enjoyable. It's lively, upbeat and whilst most of it isn't exactly full of lyrical depth, but that doesn't matter. It's a good fun time wrapped in a jewel CD case, the sort of stuff that'll go down a treat during the summer, listening to it with a beer in your hand and, hopefully, a good looking woman in your lap, which, after 'Barefoot Blue Jean Night' is doubtless what Owen was going for.

However, it's not all party anthems. Owen shows another side with the brilliant piano ballad 'What We Ain't Got' about the end of a relationship and saying goodbye. The song was a surprise addition nine tracks into an album that was pretty much as I'd expected and hoped, coming from the same producer as Florida Georgia Line's awesome party-happy debut. Don't get me wrong, this is a good song, but it's inclusion shocked me. It took a few listens to wrap my ears around it, so to speak. Owen's vocal range is impressive on this song, and it is deservedly getting special mention in reviews of the album. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a single down the line.

My favourites on the album are the title track, a rocking song about an endless southern summer, and the reggae-infused 'Beachin'' (the second album's second single, all about tan lines, cold cans and summer love) and 'Ghost Town', which explores life after a relationship, where everything Jake sees reminds him of the girl he's no longer with. Both songs have catchy choruses. Just like with 'Barefoot Blue Jean Night' on the last album, they'll stick in your head for a long time.

There isn't much to not like on Owen's latest release. Really, there isn't a bad song in the collection of twelve. I enjoyed '1972' a clever song about rock and roll of that era and 'Drivin' All Night', which talks about his long road trips through the night to visit a girl at Louisiana State University. As I said, not particularly challenging to listen to, but good for summer. I can't recommend it enough!