American Drifter – by Jacob Jones, features eight thoughtfully written and produced country pieces with Jones giving a glimpse into his military life, after letting his sensitive side out on his previous EP Maverick. Now the plot thickens with songs about his real life and the military aspect which every track on American Drifter deals with one after the other, including some descriptive lyrics and shorter points anyone can understand leaves a song more viable and even radio-friendly than some prolific lyrics can. And the consensus about it among listeners I’ve asked about it, is this EP is undeniably exceptional.
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I can describe the production and songwriting quality to be above the average modern pop country music going around, and Jones leaves no stones unturned by starting with killer instrumental backing, which can hide if you’re paying too much attention to the stories at first, but when evenly heard a few times around, they reach out and grab you and imprint the music behind the stories to go with them. It could all be packed into the first track “Son of a Military Man,” but there’s eight ways to slice the entire American Drifter EP.
Roots are what it’s all about, and we all have them up to high school, so, Jones carries words about the territories from Oklahoma to Alabama in his early years, to everywhere it has taken him, including Nashville where he is today. Much of that is written all over the first track, and several others when called for, but it’s kind of like one song split into eight stories in a way, because it never so much as veers from the subject at hand but musically speaking it’s more explorative with some rock and pop inflections.
The influences on American Drifter range from George Strait and Alan Jackson to Guns N’ Roses, Nivana, and even Aerosmith, and if you listen closely to most of it, you’ll hear where the influences come in but don’t take any country out of the songs. “The Fallen Stood” is one exception, being a straight singer/songwriter cut with a story flawlessly told by Jones in a song that has it all from the soldiers it’s about to the land they proudly protect. It’s about standing and falling for something, as opposed to opting for nothing when it comes to stepping up for a nation to protect and serve.
“Even Heros Need Saving” and “Another Angel” have their moments, especially the former, with Jones laying down one of the finest all-around tracks on American Drifter. “September 12th” is another peak moment on the EP, but it’s worth leaving it up to listeners as to what the song’s story is about. “Homeless Man” and “Over a Beer (feat. Michael Warren)” cover some of the same ground together, earning their place on the disc without question while it deals with solutions and the fact there’s not enough. It leaves the token outro track “Tears on My Dogtags” to reflect upon before hitting replay.
Claire Uebelacker