Over the last 12 years Jake Owen has established himself as one of the most popular artists in Country music. During that time Owen has been signed to RCA Nashville and he surprised the industry, and fans, recently when he announced that he was leaving his long-time label home to sign a new deal with Big Loud. Marking the end of an era before starting his new deal, Owen has released his first Greatest Hits collection.
Greatest Hits features 11 of the 17 singles that Owen has released over the course of his career so far. Kicking off with debut single Yee Haw, Greatest Hits take you back to the beginning and serves as a timely reminder of the fantastic catalogue of songs Owen has under his belt. Over the years Owen has really evolved as an artist, moving away from the more bro-country feel of some of his earlier material constantly pushing the boundaries of Country and what he brings to the genre.
Highlights include the fantastic Alone With You, which to my mind is Owen’s finest single to date, the rockier Days of Gold, penned by Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three, and the gorgeous piano ballad What We Ain’t Got. More recent single American Country Love Song holds its own too and it showcases Owen continuing to evolve his sound.
Rather oddly Startin’ With Me isn’t included on the album. Some of Owen’s other singles that have been omitted aren’t as glaringly obvious but you would have thought that his first Top 10 track would have made the cut. I was also a little disappointed that Good Company, from Owen’s latest album American Love, didn’t make it onto the track list either. The song may not have been a huge hit but it’s still one of his finest.
The final two tracks on the album are new. Subliminal Love is a midtempo dreamy love song and Long As You’re In It is an uptempo number that’s perfect for the current Country music radio landscape.
As Owen moves on to the next stage of his career, Greatest Hits is a perfect celebration of everything he’s achieved so far. I often think that Owen is an artist that doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s had some seriously great hits and there’s plenty more to come I’m sure of it. Until he releases new material though, Greatest Hits will hog my CD player for months to come.
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Track listing: 1. Yee Haw 2. Don’t Think I Can’t Love You 3. Eight Second Ride 4. Barefoot Blue Jean Night 5. Alone With You 6. The One That Got Away 7. Anywhere With You 8. Days Of Gold 9. Beachin’ 10. What We Ain’t Got 11. American Country Love Song 12. Subliminal Love 13. Long As You’re In It Record label: RCA Release date: 24th November 2017
