Single Review: ‘Better I Don’t’ – Chris Janson

11 years ago Liv Carter 2

Songwriters: Chris Janson, Kelly Roland, Pat Bunch

2013 will be Chris Janson‘s breakthrough year. The country singer-songwriter from Perryville, MO only got his first cut this year, but he immediately started big with Tim McGraw‘s top 10 hit ‘Truck Yeah.’ Following years of building up a solid reputation as a songwriter and live performer, and after some Nashville record label drama, Janson connected with Bigger Picture Group and producer Keith Stegall. First single off the new album is ‘Better I Don’t.’

I always love a good juxtaposition. Having a guy swear off his days of alcohol-fueled hedonism in a tune using an irresistible barroom-song groove very much qualifies. Janson’s tale of self-restraint sees him turning down party invitations with the phrase ‘it’s better I don’t,’ and then give that line a twist in the strong second verse. The writers – he was joined by Kelly Roland and Pat Bunch – continue to play with that line’s different meanings before the former barfly explains: ‘There’s things I don’t remember / there’s things that I do / but I don’t know the half of what I got into…and it’s better I don’t.’ It results in a rocking good time that is intelligent, humorous and cautionary without one word of judgement.

What producer Keith Stegall does really well is let each artist he works with define his or her own sound. Here, he draws out Janson’s personality and lets it shine, leaving the singer unencumbered by any of country radio’s sonic templates, and free to play with his vocals and show off his substantial harmonica skills.

‘Better I Don’t’ is a formidable southern bluesrock song that, if there is any justice left, should land Chris Janson onto the heavy-rotation playlist of any reasonable country radio station.

 

 

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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