Alan Jackson fans need to mark May 14th in their diaries,  the release date for the country superstar’s recently announced 16th studio album “ Where Have You Gone” ( EMI Nashville ) . Working once again with longtime producer Keith Stegall , the first album of all-new music for six years from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee and multi-award winner will be worth the long wait it seems as there’s no less than 21 tracks to look forwards to of which Jackson solo-wrote 15.  Writing credits on the outside cuts include Adam Wright, Daniel Tashian and Hailey Whitters, and there’s a bonus track in the form of  “ That’s The Way Love Goes ( A Tribute To Merle Haggard )”. It’s an album that UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe describes as “ a masterful love letter to country music”, something that is immediately apparent on the title track ( and album opener), one of the three songs available now. Seemingly addressed to an old flame during the opening lines, it soon becomes clear that it is in fact an emotional lament about the lack of “ sweet country music ” with its storytelling and classic instrumentation right now…..” the airwaves are waiting, please come back home” Alan sings with a certain dejection in his voice at the very end. The accompanying lyric video includes some iconic shots of the Nashville skyline and Cumberland River. 

Further teasers you can hear now ahead of release day, two more slow tempo tracks, are equally poignant in their own ways….the heartbreaker “ Way Down In My Whiskey” which this time really IS a breakup song, and “ Things That Matter” in which we are urged to take stock of our lives and realise what’s important as “ we only get so many trips around the sun”.  Of the remaining tracks, there’s apparently some which come from particularly personal places including “ You’ll Always Be My Girl” and “ I Do” written for Alan’s daughter’s wedding, and “ Where Her Heart Has Always Been” penned for his mother’s funeral which includes a recording of her reading from the Bible. But don’t worry, there’s also plenty of fun to be had as you’d expect from any AJ album, with barnburners such as “ Livin’ On Empty” , “ Back” and Beer:10”. Talking about the new material, Jackson says “ It’s a little harder country than even I’ve done in the past . And it’s funny, I was driving and listening to the final mixes Keith sent me, and I started to tear up. I was surprised to get so overly emotional, but I just love this kind of music”. He adds “ When I write, I visualize back home and growing up. Real country songs are life and love and heartache, drinking and Mama and having a good time…..but it’s the sounds of the instruments too. The steel and acoustic guitar, the fiddle – those things have a sound and a tone….and getting that right, the way those things make you feel, that’s country, too”. 

Pre-order “ Where Have You Gone” digitally here https://strm.to/AJWhereHaveYouGone                              

Physical CD ’s available to pre-order here https://store.alanjackson.com/products/presale-where-have-you-gone-cd
Track Listing
…1. “Where Have You Gone” (Alan Jackson)

2. “Wishful Drinkin’” (Alan Jackson)

3. “I Can Be That Something” (Alan Jackson)

4. “Where the Cottonwood Grows” (Alan Jackson)

5. “Way Down In My Whiskey” (Alan …
… (Hailey Whitters, Adam Wright, Sarah Turner)

6. “Things That Matter” (Robert Keith Stegall, Michael White)

7. “Livin’ On Empty” (Alan Jackson)

8. “You’ll Always Be My Baby (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” (Alan Jackson)

9. “Where Her Heart Has Always Been (Written for Mama’s funeral with an old recording of her reading from The Bible)” (Alan Jackson)

10. “The Boot” (Adam Wright)

11. “Back” (Alan Jackson)

12. “Write It In Red” (Alan Jackson)

13. “So Late So Soon” (Scotty Emerick, Daniel Tashian, Sarah Buxton)

14. “This Heart Of Mine” (Adam Wright)

15. “A Man Who Never Cries” (Alan Jackson)

16. “Chain” (Alan Jackson)

17. “I Was Tequila” (Alan Jackson)

18. “I Do (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” (Alan Jackson)

19. “Beer:10” (Alan Jackson)

20.  “The Older I Get”* (Hailey Whitters, Adam Wright, Sarah Turner)

Extra Track: “That’s The Way Love Goes” (A Tribute to Merle Haggard) (Lefty Frizzell, Whitey Shafer) Produced by Robert Keith Stegall *Produced by Keith Stegall

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