A new singer released from Aaron Ball and his band gives off a driving country vibe with all the bells and muscles that you could ask for from the genre along with an approach that's brimming with character and a soundscape that feels authentic with rolling snares and guitar tones that are just right for the occasion.
One of the things I really enjoyed about "I-35" is that it comes through as an instant classic driving song and it's so relatable for a lot of people that they can picture the things that he's describing in the song.
This is without question from an artist and group of musicians that have a pure love for their craft and the energy levels are just perfectly balanced throughout the course of the song so much so that it feels like it's possible this may have been recorded live on the floor.
This is because it feels like the players are actually feeding off of each other's energies the entire time and even if I'm wrong about the whole live-on-the-floor part, it certainly makes you want to see them live in your face because if the energy is like that on the record, then they just have to be amazing in a live performance atmosphere.
This track comes through very lush, and the instrumentation is colorful and even the guitars for example, come through with that same Persona and character as the vocals do.
The drumming really makes this track though.
It keeps everything moving forward and rolling along with just the right pace but also the right liveliness so the whole thing has this undertone of vibrancy to it.
Having said that, the guitar work is outstanding, and this is a track that feels almost familiar to the point where it can even be nostalgic in a strange way.
I think that's because the whole aesthetic of the track is nailed so well that it feels like you've been listening to it on the radio for years now.
This song hits all those sweet spots that you look for from a swinging country song and it blends an old and new school style, so the approach is really genius and I think it just comes naturally to Aaron in the band.
Upon listening to this single I took a little bit of a deep dive into the back catalog of the releases from Aaron Ball and when I did, I found some amazing stuff including an EP from 2022 that's damn near perfectly done and an album from 2013 as well as some other single releases.
After jamming on this track, I started with the 2013 album and moved forward from there and when I did, I could hear this wonderful evolution in songwriting and approach.
I really enjoy finding an artist that I really get into and then listening to their whole catalog to see how they've changed over the years.
"I-35" really hit the mark and if you liked the track, I would definitely suggest listening to some of the rest of the catalog on Spotify for starters.
Check this track out when you get a chance and remember where you heard it first.