Justin Moore - "Kinda Don't Care"

[sabre14]

Released August 12th through the Valory Music Company.




KINDA DON’T CARE TRACK LISTING:

1. “Robbin’ Trains” | Brett Beavers, Deric Ruttan, Josh Thompson
2. “Put Me in a Box” | Erik Dylan, Randy Montana
3. “Kinda Don’t Care” | Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ben Hayslip
4. “Hell on a Highway” | Blake Bollinger, Matt Rogers, Ben Stennis
5. “Goodbye Back” | Justin Moore, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover
6. “You Look Like I Need a Drink” | Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem, Natalie Hemby
7. “Somebody Else Will” | Kelly Archer, Adam Hambrick, Tebey Ottoh
8. “Between You and Me” | Smith Ahnquist, Pavel Dovgaluk, CJ Solar
9. “Got it Good” | Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason, Jeremy Stover
10. “Rebel Kids” | Dan Isbell, Randy Montana
11. “More Middle Fingers” featuring Brantley Gilbert | Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell, Shane Minor
12. “Life in the Livin’” | Travis Dennis, Jared Mullins, Chris Stevens

DELUXE TRACKS:
13. “Middle Class Money” | Rhett Akins, Marv Green, Ben Hayslip
14. “Pick Up Lines” | Corey Crowder, Travis Denning, Jared Mullins
15. “Spendin’ The Night” | Kelly Archer, Andrew DeRoberts, Adam Hambrick
16. “When I Get Home” | Justin Moore, Dean Dillon, Jeremy Stover
17. “Amen” | Rodney Clawson, Jamie Moore

[CoJoFan]

Where can you find the last track "Amen" at? I've looked online at Target and Best Buy both and they only have up to 16 on the deluxe. I bought my copy at Walmart and it only goes to 16 as well.

[trebor]

Interesting to note that outside of Northern America the standard and the deluxe versions cost exactly... the same!  :o

[sabre14]

Article up on Rolling Stone about Justin's album, Kinda Don't Care.

Justin Moore relaxes into a leather chair in a cramped recording studio ringed with microphones and audio gear, occasionally pressing a plastic soda bottle to his lips to spit. He happily discusses the past, present and future of his beloved Arkansas Razorbacks football team, including their mostly winning — but scandal-ridden — run under coach Bobby Petrino and the subsequent adjustments the team needs to make if it wants a chance at beating the perpetually dominant University of Alabama in the coming seasons.

Likewise, Moore's fourth studio album Kinda Don’t Care represents something of a shift in strategy, arriving after an extended period of silence where he had no singles on the radio. 2013's Off the Beaten Path was the type of release fans have come to expect from Moore by now: Southern-rock jams like his Number Two hit "Point at You" — where he gets to play the bad boy — mixing it up with raw, steel-drenched ballads like the Miranda Lambert duet "Old Habits" and sincere rural odes like "Dirt Road Kid." Despite the album's promising start, its third single, "This Kind of Town," failed to make it inside the Top 40 and Moore took time to regroup and find the right songs for his next project.

"I really just took a deep breath for the first time in my career, because I've always gone single after single after album after album," he says, acknowledging the often breakneck pace and constant demands heaped on a recording artist trying to build a career. "I had reservations about doing it, and it was scary in some sense to take a step away from putting new music out to radio because you always think, 'Well, if I go away, will I ever be able to come back?'"

Kinda Don't Care attempts to answer that question a number of different ways, but it's also an effort to elevate Moore to the type of elite status he dreams about for his Razorbacks. To date, he's scored seven Top 10 hits — including the Rolling Stones-indebted breakup tune "You Look Like I Need a Drink," Kinda Don't Care's lead single. It's a plenty respectable track record and hard as hell to achieve in the competitive bloodsport that is the entertainment business, but what's a guy supposed to do? Stop and say, "That's good enough?" Not at all, particularly when he'd like to scramble fans' senses with mind-altering live production and roll with a touring apparatus of so many semi-trucks that Kenny Chesney might get jealous.

There's only one problem: Moore can't get to that place by releasing the same albums he's done in the past. Guys like Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton who are currently at the very top of the heap haven't had much use for sticking exclusively to the traditional approaches Moore has favored on his albums, a fact reflected in the sleek, pop-friendly sounds currently occupying the bulk of playlist spots on radio. Moore's response on Kinda Don't Care was to offer some of the Telecaster-driven twang that's been his bread and butter, along with several of the most pop-leaning productions of his career to date.

"Let's just be honest, it's harder to get country music played on country radio," he says. "I didn't try to go chase something down. I wanted to create something that was still me that wasn't compromising what I really enjoy about country music but something that sounds modern. I was kind of nervous about that, because I don't ever want to contradict myself from a music standpoint. I don't want to disappoint my hardcore fan base that allowed me to have the opportunity to be sitting here right now making a fourth album, but I have to continue to grow and evolve, otherwise I'm not gonna be around."

That much is apparent from Kinda Don't Care's second track, "Put Me in a Box." Moore's cyclical melody about a deadly love is underpinned by buzzing synth noises, a ticking drum loop and thunderclap snare hits. That's all before the drums kick in, bringing it back to country rock — but country-rock as Coldplay might play it. (He says it's the favorite of his two older daughters, while the 2-year old has not yet weighed in). These production tricks pop up elsewhere, on the breakup road song "Hell on a Highway" and with the digitally chopped-up acoustic guitar figure and handclaps of "Got It Good."

"Even two or three years ago vehemently and adamantly against any loops and tracks," he admits. "Anything that wasn't a real instrument, I was not gonna have it on my album. But nowadays, there's not much of it out there that don't have it."

So it's a little jolting at first, but then, there is his voice — that finely-honed yowl of twang that curls extravagantly around his syllables, drawing them out to wavering multiples of themselves. That part of Moore's sound is immutable, no matter how many drum loops and synth pads he may find himself competing with. Still, Moore wrestled with that idea through the process of recording Kinda Don't Care: Was he pushing it too far?

"My producer pulls me aside and goes, 'Dude, have you ever thought about the fact that if you sing it, it sounds country? If you sing it, it's you. Don't worry about all this,'" he recalls. "I thought, you know what, you're right. I have passion for this music. It's a little different than what we've done, but I love it."

"At times in our industry, some of us are guilty of thinking we can dupe the fans"

But even historically speaking, Moore has never been one to record something just because it was the safe choice. "All American Way" from his self-titled debut and "Guns" from Outlaws Like Me took firm stances on complex and divisive issues in a way that probably turned off as many people as they found knowing allies. While the cutting-edge production seems to carry the most potential for controversy on Kinda Don't Care, Moore does manage to squeeze off a few rounds at political correctness on the snarling "More Middle Fingers," a duet with tour mate Brantley Gilbert. Together, they put all of the following on blast: the IRS, politicians, Wall Street, bosses, asshole drivers in BMWs, haters of Jesus and Jack or Charlie Daniels.

"I'm gonna be who I'm gonna be and be who I am," he says. "I think that's one thing people respect about me. I'm not gonna go out there and say anything that's disrespectful to somebody who has a different opinion than me. That's kind of where I'm going with it, is hey, we can disagree and shake hands and have a beer together. I'm saying — whether it be politics or whether it be religion or whatever it is —I'm not telling you I'm right, I'm telling you that's my opinion. And if you can't respect the fact that I have an educated opinion on the subject, then I can't respect you."

That self-awareness is key to Moore's present musical shapeshifting as well. He comfortably flits between these moody, slower numbers and rowdy rockers as easily as changing shirts, pouring on some perfectly agitated outlaw boogie in the title track, as if the country-pop explosion of the Nineties was just a dream. He even jokes that the irreverent Kinda Don't Care title is akin to the attitude he had to adopt for trying out all these new sounds on the album, saying it "sounds nonchalant, like I truly don't care about the music or something." But in truth, these changes are evidence of the exact opposite: an artist who cares about his career has to make changes and take risks. Moore trusts his fans to understand where he's coming from.

"It's just being genuine, being who you are," he says. "At times in our industry, some of us are guilty of thinking we can dupe the fans. And they're a lot smarter than we give them credit for, and they can cut through the crap instantly. I've had this same conversation as it pertains to the fact that there's so many different styles of country music and people ask me if I have issues with this or that. I believe this answers both questions: if you're genuine in what you do and that's what you are, then people are gonna dig it. Or if they don't, they can at least respect you for doing it."

In other words, sometimes an artist has to go in and shake things up the way a new coach would with a college football program, trying to elevate it to that next level and remind all the fans why they loved it in the beginning. In Moore's case, he's ready to get back on the field with a new album and new songs he can play for fans.

"It kind of feels like we're starting the second half of our career," he says, "like we're kicking off a third quarter."

[Kentucky25]

Unfortunately, this marks a continue of the trend where I pick and choose less and less of the songs off his albums. I think this "change of sound" is a direct response to the failure of the last era (which I blame on another "change of sound" by releasing "Home Sweet Home") and it's all just kind of sad. I remember always thinking that Moore had found his niche with the mid tempo rockers like "Til My Last Day" and could structure albums around those and be successful. I had high hopes when I heard YLLINAD, but I am fairly disappointed with this album. There were a couple songs I didn't even finish the preview of cause I couldn't handle the production drowning out his voice.

[phil1996]

Ugh. He's so good but it's a shame to hear this pop stuff. I don't get why he had to change his sound. Jon Pardi didn't, and he's having tons of success with it. Outlaws Like Me was one of the best albums I've ever heard.

Justin needs to realize it's not about how your singles do on the charts. It's called sticking to your guns and making music from the heart. Not selling out.

Just ask Kip Moore. Hasn't had a #1 in years, but he absolutely packs them in at his concerts, has his fans singing every word to album tracks, whether it's in Tennessee or London, and has great album sales. He's got a fanbase that has stayed with him because he never strayed away from his kind of music. Same goes for Eric Church. Some of his singles don't even hit top 10, and he's still one of the most popular country artists around.

Randy Houser tried doing this. Got a #1 on a forgettable bland radio friendly song, only sold 21 K first week on his album, next two singles flopped. Had he stuck with his "How Country Feels" sound, I guarantee you he'd be a lot bigger than he currently is. His fans don't know who he truly is anymore, and I fear that with this album, Moore fans will feel the same with him.

With all that said, I do enjoy some of these songs. I LOVE the title track, and would love to see that hit radio. Perfect example of a good straight up country song that could still hit big on radio today. Somebody Else Will is extremely catchy, has a strong melody/vocals, and Hell on a Highway is stellar. More Middle Fingers is another one I enjoy. It's classic Justin Moore and I love the lyrics.

[kw9461]

Pretty disappointing album. I absolutely love the title track, on first listen I thought it was a no-brainer single, but having heard the rest of the album I'm guessing it won't even be considered. Robbin' Trains is really good as well, but once the pop tracks take over I'm pretty much done with album. Justin just sounds so out of place on those overproduced pop cuts. The only one I really like is Somebody Else Will, and even that would be better with better production. Hell On a Highway might be a great song with a different vocalist, but Justin just doesn't sound natural singing it (the verses are fine, the rhythmic chorus is the problem). And the album just gets worse from there, I'd only give it about 2 stars personally.

[George Strait Junkie]

WTF Justin one more i thought i could count on for good music has gone to the dark side lol oh well. i only like a few tracks here and thats sad with there being 16

here are the ones i like

"Kinda Don't Care" - love this song
"Middle Class Money" - i've lived this song. it shoulda been on the regular album
"Robbin' Trains"
"Hell On A Highway"
"You Look Like I Need A Drink"
"More Middle Fingers" - i hate Brantley but i can relate to the lyrics it fits me so i can tolerate him on this one

thats it the rest of them are horrible

[Deleted]

What a freakin' disappointment. The only song I really like is the title track. Everything else sounds the same. Modern garbage.

It's funny if you go read the reviews on iTunes. Pretty much every review says something like "can always count on Justin to keep it real, keepin' it country, doesn't sell out, etc." These reviews were all written before the album release.

If they only knew...

[dm2081]

I didn't really think the album sounded that much different to be honest. I didn't listen to it on the best speakers, but it sounded fine to me. I'm pretty shocked by the poor reviews its getting on here honestly.

"Robbin' Trains" is easily the best song on the album, and I really hope its next.

[mus1cr0w]

Borchetta strikes again!

"Listen, Justin, what you're doing isn't working. Jeremy Stover is great buttttt- we're going to bring in a pop guy to hip your sound up a bit. Just follow me to the money."

It is interesting to note, Moore/Stover has only ONE song on this album. Sales for Justin have decreased considerably since his first album when Stover/Moore had most of the writes.
Justin Moore

Release date: August 11, 2009
Label: Valory Music Group
Formats: CD, music download

3 10 —

US: Gold[22]



US: 550,000[23]

Outlaws Like Me

Release date: June 21, 2011
Label: Valory Music Group
Formats: CD, music download

1 5 —

US: Gold[24]



US: 577,000[23]

Off the Beaten Path

Release date: September 17, 2013
Label: Valory Music Group
Formats: CD, music download

1 2 5

US: 344,800[25]


Sometimes when you try to please everyone you piss off the people who are really fans. Unlike his earlier efforts, the co-writer list on this album is so diverse that it's hard to see a clear direction in the sound.


Hope he can stay relevant because he's a talent we need. Good guy, identifiable voice and a hell of an entertainer.

MR

[phil1996]

^ completely agree with this.

Really want to see Somebody Else Will and Kinda Don't Care get released as singles, but also feel like Hell on a Highway could turn into one of his biggest hits if released. That song is a total gem.

[kim8]

I've only listened one time through and need to do a whole lot more listening but all in all I enjoyed this album a lot. I can't get over how much I absolutely love Kinda Don't Care. I have listened to that one over and over and can't stop lol. This really needs to be a single!! I agree that Hell on a Highway is also a standout track.

[George Strait Junkie]

by the way where can we get 17th track in the 1st post "Amen" cant find it no where

[sabre14]

Aug 17, 2016 1:45:28 GMT -5 George Strait Junkie said:

by the way where can we get 17th track in the 1st post "Amen" cant find it no where

No idea, lol. Got the list from rsmatto. :)

[rsmatto]

Aug 17, 2016 11:26:46 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Aug 17, 2016 1:45:28 GMT -5 George Strait Junkie said:

by the way where can we get 17th track in the 1st post "Amen" cant find it no where

No idea, lol. Got the list from rsmatto. :)

Must've been pulled.

[sabre14]

Justin said on The Highway this weekend that Scott Borchetta co-produced this album with Julian Raymond and Jeremy Stover.

[onebuffalo]

#1 country, #4 top 200 album with 37,000 sold. Congratulations, Justin Moore!

[dm2081]

That's a really solid number for someone with a lead single that seemed to have relatively zero buzz and was away from radio for a while.

[phil1996]

I was expecting somewhere between 20-25. Nice to see that number!

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2016 1:06:05 GMT -5 dm2081 said:

That's a really solid number for someone with a lead single that seemed to have relatively zero buzz and was away from radio for a while.

Aug 23, 2016 2:20:44 GMT -5 phil1996 said:

I was expecting somewhere between 20-25. Nice to see that number!

Nah, Justin's always sold well. I figured he'd do better, actually. In fact, HITS was projecting closer to 45,000.

Justin's last album, from September 2013, sold nearly 100,000 copies in its 1st week. Going from 100,000 sold in an opening week to only 37,000 sold is a pretty huge drop-off. Sales continue to decrease, of course, but that's one of the biggest album-to-album drop-offs that I can recall recently.

I don't think Justin's doing poorly or anything like that, but I do think he's lost a sizable portion of his core fan-base.

[Deleted]

I like the album. I have listened to it like 3 times in full, and the only song that stood out to me, was YLLINAD. I suppose that's because I already knew the song. The rest, well, I have a similar reaction to Off The Beaten Path, where I liked the album, but never found any stand outs. Will have to listen to the songs you guys mentioned as the best, maybe I am dismissing some songs way too quickly.