Aaron Lewis and the Sinner in All of Us

Aaron Lewis represents much of what mainstream country music has been lacking over the past five years. He's an iconic vocalist, an introspective and self-aware songwriter, and the kind of individual who wouldn't be out of place in a rural setting. You take away his obvious talents, and he's a guy you might see in your favorite bar, ready to shoot the shit and a game or two of pool. When Aaron Lewis is on stage, he doesn't look like he spent 15 minutes letting somebody apply makeup to his face and picking out his wardrobe. He's just a guy with a guitar and the combination of eloquence and life experience needed to tell great stories. That much is evident on his newest album, Sinner.

That's not to say the album is flawless. There are some moments of greatness, but also moments of hollow chest beating that eat away at the overall impact of the record, as a whole. Songs like the title track and "Lost and Lonely" are refreshing and wonderfully self-aware, while songs like the very dumb "Northern Redneck" represent ideas that never should have seen pen and paper. At the very least, Sinner gets off to a strong start with the title track, lead single "That Ain't Country," and Lewis' cover of "Whiskey and You," a standard for Chris Stapleton first recorded by Tim McGraw. 

That's not to say that there aren't weak points in some of the good songs. "That Ain't Country" is a nice protest song, but includes a third verse that only serves to arbitrarily name drop country legends. It did absolutely nothing for the song and added another minute to its run time, dragging "That Ain't Country" past the four minute mark and dulling its message. It still makes its point, but I can't help but think a little subtlety would have served "That Ain't Country" well. 

There's no denying the traditional country sound of the record. Steel guitar is everywhere, and the dobro makes wonderful appearances in the background here and there. The songs in general move at a rather slow pace, which I tend to like. Upbeat songs serve a purpose in country music, but if an artist doesn't excel at writing or singing such material, the best decision is to only record them when a great idea comes to fruition, which is what Lewis seems to have done on Sinner. 

Lyrically, the album title declares the concept, and the songs tell stories of hard living, bad choices, and the cyclical nature of life as a human being. The title track is a declaration of unavoidable human fault as Lewis sings, "'Cause I'm a sinner to my core/I ask forgiveness, and nothing more." It's less of a point of pride than a point of admission, and a statement of understanding in that the narrator knows he's not perfect, but he would like to do better, moving forward. 

The missteps on Sinner are pretty blatant. The aforementioned "Northern Redneck" discusses the stereotype that you can only be truly country if you're from the south. Aaron Lewis is from Massachusetts, so where the idea generated from is obvious, but it just wasn't executed very well in any way. The other song that irritates me is "Sunday Every Saturday Night." It's an outdated, overused story of the bar being like a church. It's also so damn slow and drawn out that I found my mind drifting away before 2 minutes had even passed. It's a very forgettable song. 

The strongest tracks on the album are excellent, including the title track, and my personal favorite, "Lost and Lonely." The best surprise of the album, however, was the the wonderful closing song--an excellent cover of "Travelin' Soldier," first made famous by the Dixie Chicks nearly 15 years ago. Lewis' daughter Zoe takes lead vocals on this song, and Aaron harmonizes with her during the chorus. The inclusion of this song doesn't necessarily fit into the concept in a lyrical sense, but I think the choice to have his daughter take lead vocals is meant to symbolize redemption and the blessings life can give us despite our faults and mistakes. It was a very fitting way to close the album, and an excellent way to turn the dire mood around to show the opposite side of the spectrum.

Overall, Sinner is a very solid album from a singer/songwriter with an iconic voice and the kinds of hard-living experiences needed to carry emotional material to its potential. Well done, Mr. Lewis. 7/10

Standout tracks:

"Sinner"

"Mama"

"Lost and Lonely"

"Travelin' Soldier"