Jamey Johnson – “My Way To You”
After an outstanding, independently-recorded effort that ushered him in as country music’s Outlaw Savior (garnering an unprecedented level of critical acclaim from essentially every corner of the music universe), Jamey Johnson returns with “My Way To You,” the first single from his upcoming fourth album.
He does not disappoint. The song opens to the sound of an eerie steel guitar, joined in short order by a plucked acoustic as the steel swells, so full of emotion it must spill over into the foreground. Then Johnson’s voice enters, a hushed and contemplative baritone perfectly underlined by a sparse and haunting piano.
By the time this powerful track reaches its climax, Johnson (having started the song with little more than a whisper) is soaring, his emotional connection to these words unmistakable and his outpouring of passion irresistible.
But dark desires, “high” times and living “fast as hell” are nothing new to seasoned country music listeners. In fact, there’s nothing at all new about the images in this song, nor is there anything particularly unique about its story, a tale of redemption realized. To be sure, all of these images and themes are especially expected coming from the mouth of a singer known for having suffered so seriously from personal misdirection.
So why then is “My Way To You” still so damn compelling?
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