The Singles Jukebox

But not Jesus Jones.

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[5.50]

Brad Shoup: The track’s woozy even before the lyrical whiplash; the three writers give Trace a ton of dualities to gargle in the chorus, and he spits ’em out like a pro. I dunno whose idea it was to turn things over to a church choir without booking an equivalent clutch of warbling bikers.
[7]

Thomas Inskeep: That deep baritone is still a perfect vessel for country music, deeper than the proverbial holler. The song is much better than I expected, a Tyler Farr co-write about trying to find a middle ground between being good and being bad — a theme as persistent in country music as any. Musically and production-wise it goes for easy ground (you could easily hear Jason Aldean singing it), but Adkins sells it. 
[6]

Alfred Soto: “I need to find a little middle ground / Between let her rip and settling down,” he sings, an ear on the electronic swirls and cavernous mix, the other on the strummed country chorus, an eye on the hot young thing crawling out of a bottle and John 3:16. Adkins’ baritone at its consinderable best couldn’t frighten the damn choir out of the building though.
[7]

Cassy Gress: I can appreciate a George Jones tribute song, but the country-arena-rock sound reminds me of “You and I” down to the key. This is a [6] or so until the singalong fade-out, which is always awkward on studio recordings, and I’m also side-eye about the “welp I’mma just hope my girl saves me someday” sentiment.
[5]

Anthony Easton: Trace Jones’ voice drops iron into the gear shifting guitar. This has nothing in similarity to Jones, and the authenticity cult around him forgets how smooth Jones production is, but I am grateful it’s not another Bocephus hagiography. Also, for someone whose best songs on this side of silly sex anthems (“Brown Chicken,” “Brown Cow or One Hot Mama,” or “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”) it’s weird for him to talk about Jesus like this. But, you know, an all-American weirdness. 
[6]

Micha Cavaseno: Isn’t this Nickelback “Rockstar”?
[2]