For his first album as a solo artist, Aaron Lewis, the vocalist of multi-platinum alt-rock band Staind, has come out of seemingly left field with the country music-leaning Town Line. EP.  First single “Country Boy” is an interesting song for country fans to hear because not only does it name-check superstars, the song also speaks to Lewis’ childhood and life as a country boy from his hometown of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a sleepy little town in the western part of the state that’s completely different than the famous eastern part of the state.   “Country Boy” tells of his life from that small town to the town he lives in now, the even smaller town of Worthington, Massachusetts, a city that predates the formation of the United States.   While “Country Boy” is certain to bother traditionalists, it is right up the alley of fans of country music due to the fact that a good many of them (who are in their mid-20s to late 30s gravitated) from alt rock to country and are very familiar with Aaron Lewis. 

The other four songs on the record are interesting and (mostly) gone is much of the woe-is-me hurtful tunes Lewis is known for and in its place are the acoustic ballads about his family that keeps him grounded in a world where celebrities are often not grounded at all.  “Tangled Up In You” is a pretty ballad written for his wife and how she still moves and provides ‘the fire that warms me when I’m Cold” and “the shore when I’m lost at sea.”  This tune is quite simiar in style to career-making hit “Outside” and it is followed on the EP by the fantastic tune about his children, wife and his sanctuary that is his Berkshires mountain home.  “Massachusetts” is as pretty and melodic a ballad as you’ll find on any country album (or rock album for that matter) and certainly one that will resonate with fans.

“Vicious Circles” is perhaps the only song on this record that could feel like it’s “It’s Been A While” or other of those ‘woe-is-me’ songs Aaron’s so known for but in reality it’s a song about the hardships we all face in life and how those hardships, despite our wanting to ‘walk on water like Jesus did before,’ or painting of a masterpiece like Picasso in order to do everything for someone you live.  It’s abstract yet to the point at the same time.  The most ‘country’ tune on this EP (which also features two other radio edits of “Country Boy”) is the album opening “The Story Never Ends” which is like a partner of sorts to “Massachusetts” in that it paints a picture of Aaron Lewis’ life and what he truly does what he does as a touring musician, to have 10 months or so home in the Berkshires and hanging out with the country folk of the town he calls home there. 

Fans of Staind are more than likely to enjoy Town Line and I have no doubts that a few new fans will flock their way to Aaron Lewis and a couple of these songs (“Vicious Circles” and “Tangled Up In You”) may very well make their way to the rock radio single charts like “Country Boy” has, a song that sold over 200,000 digital singles before the release of the EP.  With that kind of fan base and potential for an even larger one, Aaron Lewis has the makings of a career that could be hitting a refreshing second wave and that’s a story that may keep on going to the delight of his fans.

Lyrics: Country Boy"

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