All In

All In almost feels like a response record to Real Friends, the bright, shiny album Chris Janson released in 2019. Where Real Friends was breezy and polished, All In sounds lean and sinewy, an album teeming with guitars and big beats. Its a record that bears the distinct influence of Eric Church, the king of smart, muscular mainstream country in 2022, and Church himself drops by to play on "You, Me & the River," a yearning piece of heartland rock that suits Jansons earnest growl quite well. Church also co-writes "Flag on the Wall," an angry coal country anthem thats one of a few songs that attempts to grapple with the mess of this modern world. Janson explicitly plays to both sides of the fence, singing "We all blue and we all red" on "Flag on the Wall," then "I love all kinds of people, both sides on the Mississippi" on "My American World." Listening to these two songs, its evident that Churchs presence muddies the waters in an appealing way: "Flag on the Wall" is gnarled and complicated, "My American World" is trite, ending its chorus with a litany of "really, really, really." Fortunately, "My American World" is the nadir of the album. On the rest of the record, Janson splits the difference between Churchs brawn and the rockin sound of the 1990s, going so far as to invite Travis Tritt and Rhett Akins in for duets. Jansons renewed sense of swagger doesnt prevent him from indulging in either humor ("The Reel Bass Pro") or sentimentality ("Bye Mom"), decisions that help pad the album out to a long 16 songs, but even if All In could use a little tightening, it remains a vigorous, engaging listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine