All In in Bloomington, MN

All In
almost feels like a response record to
Real Friends
, the bright, shiny album
Chris Janson
released in 2019. Where
was breezy and polished,
sounds lean and sinewy, an album teeming with guitars and big beats. It's 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
Janson
's earnest growl quite well.
also co-writes "Flag on the Wall," an angry coal country anthem that's one of a few songs that attempts to grapple with the mess of this modern world.
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, it's evident that
's 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,
splits the difference between
's brawn and the rockin' sound of the 1990s, going so far as to invite
Travis Tritt
and
Rhett Akins
in for duets.
's renewed sense of swagger doesn't 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
could use a little tightening, it remains a vigorous, engaging listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine